Frozen 3: The Fallout
by yugifrozenfan
Summary: After finding her true fate, Elsa and Anna split apart to go their own paths: Elsa went to live with the spirits of Northuldra while Anna assumed the throne of Arendelle. But a couple months after this, they both start to wonder if this was really the right decision? Everyone says so, so why meddle in things that shouldn't be meddled in? Will family ties prevail?
1. Chapter 1

It had been done, the source of the spirits' rage had been destroyed. They took back their curse and freed the forest from a lifetime of agony. But Elsa's eye was not dim and she faced her sister, having called her over to speak to her in private and explain to her that she made the decision not to return with the others, as it was their sisterhood that formed the bridge. While she knew that Anna would not like it, having had to stare at a locked door for 13 years and then have three years of normalcy, this had to be done in Elsa's eyes, because the Spirits wanted to prevent what had happened 34 years ago with Runeard from happening again and to them, Elsa's ice powers and Anna's compassion and empathy would not lead her down the path that Runeard took, having had first hand experience with it and having a sister who lived in the forests would also aide there as well in that department. It was after Kristoff's proposal that the caravan was preparing to transport Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, Olaf and the trapped Arendellian Soldiers back home. Upon seeing Elsa's signal, Anna told the caravan to hold on and bounded over to her sister. "You wanted to talk to me about something? The caravan is preparing to leave and you're not on it. I told them you would be on soon", she said. Elsa sighed. She had considered going back with Anna and the others, but the journey had opened her eyes to her true calling and it was more than just Arendelle's queen, a position that, per the spirits, she was never met to have. It was Anna.

"I'm needed here," Elsa said. Anna's eyes widened at the implication of that statement.

"But, your place is," she started to protest, but Elsa put a finger to Anna's lips.

"My place was never in Arendelle. I was always supposed to be here. Arendelle is in your hands now. You will make a fine queen, better than I was, `` Elsa said, remaining firm.

"Aside from that rough start, you were an excellent queen. Don't you ever say those things about yourself," Anna said. But then she had another thought: How would their relationship now be since Elsa was now a Forest Guardian and Anna was still, just Anna?

"But, are we still?" Again, Elsa put a finger to Anna's lips.

"You are still my baby sister. That will NEVER, EVER change", Elsa affirmed. The statement made Anna feel a little bit better, as she doubled back to give Elsa one last hug, but once Elsa was out of earshot, Anna returned to the caravan and her demeanor suddenly changed, she was remembering all those times Elsa pushed her away and this is what it felt like, not only was she pushing Anna away again, she was pushing all of Arendelle away, all because of some unspoken prophecy that was coming to pass just now? Anna climbed into the wagon with Kristoff and Olaf.

"Just go," she said. The driver was dumbfounded.

"Where's the queen?"

"She's not coming with us", she said. At that statement, the caravan took off, leaving the Enchanted Forest and Elsa behind.

Elsa kept her vow. Even after they went their separate ways, Elsa coronated her own sister as queen of Arendelle and was maid-of-honor when she and Kristoff tied the knot. Not a day passed by without a letter exchange. She and Anna bridged the gap between Arendelle and The Enchanted Forest, but eventually, something started nagging at her head: Did she make the right decision to leave Anna? Could Anna have stayed with her? Suddenly, she felt guilty for having sent Anna away during their journey. Anna kept Elsa's room prepped for her whenever she visited the castle, but Elsa never seemed to stay very long, a few hours at most, never a whole day, almost as if she was afraid she would get attached and not return to her post as Guardian of the Enchanted Forest. She decided to have a talk with Yelena about this.

"Elsa, your sister had her own destiny separate from yours. You found your place now, `` the tribal leader had said.

Back in Arendelle, Anna was having the exact same experience, wondering if this was the right choice for them. "After everything we've gone through, everything we did, she just leaves me again?" Anna vented to Kristoff.

"Anna, there's a different variation of leaving. There's "Leave the Kingdom" and "Leave the Country". Elsa didn't 'leave the Country'. She left the kingdom. You still see her occasionally", Kristoff tried to comfort his wife.

"Kristoff, you need to remember that I told you. We were isolated 13 years because of her powers. I got her back after the crisis, but we had only 3 years together. Sisters are supposed to live together, breath together, even grow old together!" Anna said.

"Anna", Kristoff put his hands on her shoulders, calming her. "I'm sorry you felt your time with Elsa was cut short, but deep down, you knew full well that this was coming. People eventually realize that they need to forge their own destinies away from the ones they love. Did I like my life in the orphanage? No! No one does but I still loved the maidens that cared for me but I felt my destiny was away from there so that's why I kept trying to escape the orphanage. Besides, I had a nagging feeling I wasn't getting adopted anyway. Besides, we still see Elsa", he stopped himself when he realized the truth: It wasn't feeling abandonment, Anna wanted to see Elsa daily, hear her voice, the sounds of her heels clacking as they ran around the palace. He had seen Anna visit Elsa's room and start to knock on the door but catch herself, reminding herself that Elsa didn't live with them anymore. "You wish she was still with us," he said. Anna nodded. "Let's see my family. Maybe they can explain," he said.

Back in the Enchanted Forest, Yelena was still talking with Elsa. "Elsa, the spirits made you the magical half of the fifth spirit to reward your mother for her kindness in saving your father. You belong here, `` she tried to reason.

"Yes, but I grew up in Arendelle. I had Anna, my friends, my brother-in-law. Everyone I knew was there. I feel like I abandoned them. Yelena, I never said this, but you need to know my history with my sister. We have a beautiful bond, I write to her every single day, I see her whenever possible, but it wasn't like this initially. You see, Anna knew about my gift, and we spent countless hours playing with my gift, until one night, I accidentally hurt her in her head with my magic. She was healed, but Papa thought it was best if I was kept away from her, which led to me isolating myself. I thought I was doing the right thing, but Anna helped me realize how wrong I was for treating her the way I did. I had 13 years to make it up to her and I did but I feel like I abandoned her again to follow my fate, a fate I wish Anna could have shared with me. I betrayed my sister again when I sent her away, `` she lamented.

"She IS sharing it with you. She is with her people, you are with yours. Why do you think you were chosen to bear the powers and not Anna? As much as you like to, Anna can't be with you because she needs to be with her own kind ,`` Yelena said.

"Are you saying my sister is ordinary?" Elsa was not amused.

"No, what I'm saying is that, Anna was met to keep you in check until you were ready to find out the truth,'' the leader responded.

Back in Arendelle, Anna and Kristoff were talking with Pabbie about the situation, with pretty much the exact same response: Anna and Elsa were meant to be a bridge between the two sides of Arendelle: Elsa represented the magical side while Anna had to be among the ordinary side and whether Anna liked it or not, Elsa, although raised as an Arendellian, was not meant to be one and trying to bring her back would possibly result in severe punishment and retribution from the spirits, Elsa included.

"So, it's best to let the status quo be, then?" Anna asked.

"Yes. Live your life, Anna and let your sister live hers", Pabbie said.

"She's family!"

"And she will always be family! Leave well enough alone, Anna! You're meddling with things you don't understand!"

"Then HELP me understand! Why don't I remember Elsa's powers?! Why was I kept away from her for 13 years?!" Finally, Pabbie snapped.

"BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO KNOW THE TRUTH!" This shocked everyone, Anna included. Pabbie sighed in an effort to calm himself down from his outburst and decided to come clean about everything.

"The prophecy was that the queen would bare two daughters, the oldest one would have magical powers of ice and snow, the youngest one would be ordinary. If The Enchanted Forests of Arendelle hadn't been cursed and the queen had been more open about her past and connection to that land, she would have raised Elsa in the forests and you would have been raised a king's daughter, ignorant of magic and unassuming, except for one thing: You have a sister. That's why I wiped your memories of your sister's magical abilities. I was merely trying to salvage the original destiny, but the forests were cursed and Elsa grew up a king's daughter and successor anyway, a life she wasn't met to lead and you were. But, fate works in mysterious ways, so your job was to keep Elsa in check until they were ready to explain their past and, I'm assuming, split you two apart, but the forests were cursed, you got hit so that changed the natural course", Pabbie explained, more calmly this time. Anna's lip quivered at this. She realized something.

"Then the prophecy, in spite of everything that happened, still came true anyway?" Pabbie nodded.

"Can I change our fates?"

"You can't fight fate, Anna. This was always your destiny. Like I said, leave the natural course alone. Do NOT make the same mistake your ancestors did. The spirits will not be forgiving this time around if an outsider meddles and I must warn you, if you meddle, your sister WILL side with them, family ties be darned", the troll said.

"She's my sister, she would NEVER hurt me,'' Anna said. Kristoff coughed. "Both times, they were accidents,'' she said, knowing what he was going to say.

"I was going to say, knowing Anna, she'll find a way to rewrite fate, especially if it considers family ties,'' he said. He then turned to Pabbie. "This is more the fact she's not used to having Elsa around as frequently as before. Try and look at it through Anna's eyes. This is the sister she loves greatly. She tries to knock on her door but stops herself. She even keeps her sister's chambers prepped tidy in case she decides to extend her visits, which, foregone conclusion, she doesn't. This separation is clearly hurting Anna, especially since that's all she's ever known in her childhood. She told me everything and I told her about my past as an orphan, `` he said. Pabbie smirked.

"Ah, but did we ever tell you about how you found us?" Kristoff went silenced.

"You were walking along the path about the same time the royals were coming to see us to heal Anna. You followed the ice trial Elsa was leaking out because of her fear. That is how you found us", Pabbie finished. Kristoff looked at Anna.

"That little girl was you?" Anna nodded. Kristoff stood, shock still.

"So, wait, did I have a role in this as well?"

"If things progressed as they should have been, you would have eventually met and married Anna, yes", Pabbie confirmed.

"What about Hans?" Anna asked.

"If things progressed as they should have been, Hans would only had a minor role, he came blundering into a story he ultimately had no place in," Pabbie stated. Anna and Kristoff looked at each other. In the Enchanted Forest, Elsa was having the same conversation with Yelena, with pretty much the same result: Everything was righted and trying to disrupt the natural course again would result in punishment. By raising Elsa in Arendelle, their parents meddled and paid the price for it: Their own lives.

"But what if we moved down to Arendelle?"

"IDIOT GIRL!" Yelena snapped. Realizing what she said, she calmed down. "I'm sorry, but we're just not met to meddle in the lives of the ordinary."

"It's my sister and family down there!"

"That's THEIR place! Your sister and family played their parts!"

"Did you ever see how distraught my sister looks at the end of our visits? I do and it's KILLING me inside! That's what happens when you are raised alongside someone you love dearly!"

"AND YOU WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE!" Elsa was shocked. Yelena explained to Elsa what would have happened had the forests not been cursed and their mother came clean about her past: Iduna would have brought Elsa to the forests to train and hone her skills in her powers, Adgar and Anna would have stayed in Arendelle and Anna would have succeeded her father as queen, Anna would have only known Elsa's existence, not her powers. Elsa realized that's why the trolls wiped Anna's memories and why their parents kept silent about their past: Their father was afraid if it came out he fell in love and married a Northuldaian, he would have been branded a traitor and excommunicated from the kingdom and the kingdom calling for his resignation.

Anna and Elsa ran Pabbie and Yelena's words through their head. Anna wasn't supposed to know the truth about Elsa and be kept away from her all that time? Elsa was supposed to raised apart from Anna? It felt like a punch in the gut. As Anna laid in her bed in Arendelle Castle and Elsa in her ice tent, they both came to a decision: They would try to find a way to be together without restrictions.

**AN: Well, here is the first chapter of a new story. It follows the ending of Frozen II, even though I haven't seen the film yet, I contribute to the Disney Wiki, which had the characters' articles updated to reflect the events of Frozen II and the resolution and when I saw what the resolution was going to be, I didn't like it. Frozen, to me, was always more about the sisters' relationship and I know they were trying to do the moral about "You need to forge your own path independent of your loved ones" and all, but in light of what they went through in the first film, it didn't feel warranted. So, I decided to explore the ramifications of what would have happened and if it was ultimately better in the long run. Frozen & Frozen II are Disney. **

**AN 2:** **I did see Frozen II on DVD and I liked it. But I still stand by what I said about the ending. It just didn't feel warranted to me in light of what the sisters went through in the first film, the Aesop it taught and the fact it appeared to Retcon the sisters' personalities in order to match the conflict they wanted for the sequel, since they weren't really writing towards a sequel at the time of the first film. I get the implications of it (ie: trying to prevent what happened 34 years ago from happening again) and I get that the sequel was more through Elsa's eyes like the first film and the two shorts were more through Anna's eyes, but it really felt like the team who changed the game board with the first film choked and defaulted to the template set by Ralph Breaks the Internet (ie: Time passes, one character feels restless with their place, they go explore a new world and the character who feels restless gradually comes to resonate with the new world and chooses to stay in it upon journey's end. There's even the contrived 'split up'). It was good, but it could have been better. I rewrote the beginning of this story to bring it more in line with the film and set the conflict more clearly.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Elsa made her usual visit to Arendelle and this time, she said she would stay for 3 days at most, to see what would happen if she stayed longer than what she normally did. As usual, she brought her pets with her, like she always did. She slept in her old room, which Anna maintained after she left, and they spent time together, doing sisterly things. When the 3 days were up, nothing bad occurred, so Elsa extended her visit to an additional 3 days, for a total of six. When the six days were up, Elsa put a stamp on it and started to leave.

"Elsa, why can't you stay longer? Nothing bad happened!"

"Because I can't!" Anna suddenly flashed back to Elsa's coronation party, when Elsa said she wasn't going to let the gates stay open. "It just can't!" she had said. Seeing the look on her sister's face, Elsa knew she chose the wrong words. "Because I have my duties as the magical half of the fifth spirit like how you have yours," she said, trying to soften the blow.

"Just go, Elsa,'' Anna said, turning her back on her sister just like she did to her 13 years ago. Elsa mounted Nokk and rode back to the forest. If Anna wanted her gone, she would leave.

Back in the castle, Anna formulated her plan. At night, she snuck into the Enchanted Forest and found Elsa's tent. "Elsa, ELSA! Wake up! Wake up!" she said, shaking her sister awake.

"Anna, what are you doing?" Elsa groaned.

"Bringing you back! Let's go, Kristoff and the guards are waiting" Anna said matter-of-factly. Elsa gulped, but took a chance and left with Anna. As the royal carriage traversed the path, suddenly, they heard shaking.

"TRAITORS! YOU HAVE DISRUPTED THE PROPHECY! NOW YOU WILL NEVER AGAIN SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY!" a rumbling voice sounded.

"Hold on to me, Anna!" Elsa shouted as she generated an ice shield around the carriage.

"But you were supposed to side with the spirits! Why are you helping us?" Anna asked.

"Because the spirits don't control my personal free will. I'm still Elsa," Elsa said. Sure enough, some of the more malevolent spirits underestimated Elsa's willpower and desire to not harm her sister. Everything then went black.

"Anna, wake up!" Elsa said, shaking her sister. Anna roused.

"Where are we?"

"I don't know", Anna then reached out and touched. She heard a rubber sound. She ran forward, only to get knocked backward into Elsa's arms. "What's going on here?" she wondered. Then she realized. "Maybe this is what Pabbie meant when he told us I would be punished if I disrupted the natural course." Elsa also came to the same realization.

"Nothing bad happened because I willingly stayed"

"What have I done?" Anna said.

"There has to be a balance," Elsa said.

"Elsa? Were you happy in Arendelle with me?" Anna asked. Elsa sighed.

"I was indeed happy. I had a life, I had you, but everyone's telling me that it's a life I wasn't meant to have and you were the one who was," Elsa admitted.

"Pabbie also told me that we were to be brought up separately if the forests hadn't been cursed and I would only know your existence, not your powers. That's why my memories of your powers were erased. He also said everything proceeded as planned in spite of what had occurred. I was happy for you when I saw you ascended, but deep down I thought I would lose you again and in a way, I did, twice. I finally get to go on an adventure with you and how does it end? I get abandoned again. You promised we'd see the end of the quest together and what did you do when we got near the end? You DOUBLE CROSSED ME by sending me and Olaf away on that boat! With Hans, it at least made sense because he was only using me, but my own sister?" Anna admitted, curling up into herself. Elsa's heart broke. She had been so focused on finding the truth of her family's history upon seeing the wreckage and trying to focus on Anna's safety she had indeed double crossed her by not letting her finish out the journey with her. She did want Anna to be there when she ascended, but she wasn't sure what would have happened to Anna if she went with her.

"I did want you there, but I couldn't risk you dying," Elsa said.

"Did I ever tell you what Hans said when he double crossed me?"

"You did."

"Why did you leave if you were content in Arendelle?"

"You know why I left. I'm not supposed to be in Arendelle."

"You still could have stayed. It's not the same without you, Elsa, it's really not", Anna admitted. Elsa's face fell. She did want to fulfill the prophecy, but she also didn't think about how Anna would feel. Yeah, she sent letters and visited constantly, but it was indeed not the same. Elsa put herself in Anna's shoes.

"It's not the same without you either, Anna. But, think about it, we're too apart, we're different, My path was one you ultimately couldn't follow and I'm sorry, but that's obviously what fate wants. I can't be in your life anymore and vice versa," Elsa said.

"That's not true," Anna said. Suddenly, they heard footsteps and a voice shouted.

"The traitor! Who is it?! WHO DISRUPTED THE NATURAL ORDER!" Anna steeled herself.

"I did it", she announced without hesitation.

"YOU! You will pay dearly for this!" he said.

"Protect the queen!" Mattias shouted as him and the rest of the guards drew their swords in preparation for a battle. The mysterious man merely paralyzed them and yanked Anna away from the group. He snapped his fingers and the guards unfroze. "Release the queen!" Mattias demanded. The man smirked.

"When she does what she undid, I'll let her go. That's my only rule," he said. He spirited Anna away, leaving Mattias, Elsa and Kristoff unsure of what he meant.

**AN: The plot thickens! Also, I will say this right now, Pabbie, Yelena and the mysterious man are not villains in case anyone may take issue with how I'm writing them. They merely want to see things play as they should be, which is not unreasonable, but, like what Hans did when he was trying to subtly manipulate Anna, they underestimate the sibling love Elsa and Anna have for each other. Again, the first movie had the Aesop that Elsa and Anna should never have been separated, something I addressed in "Frozen As It Should Have Been", something that I'm trying to address here**.**R&R!**


	3. Chapter 3

Mattias turned to Elsa and Kristoff. "What happened?" he asked. Kristoff shrugged. "I assume you don't know?" he said. Finally, Elsa spoke up.

"She was trying to take me back to Arendelle," she said. Mattias understood.

"She lights up like the sun when you tell her you're coming over, but she gets mopey whenever you go," Mattias explained.

"I know, it feels like I abandoned her again. When we were isolated for 13 years, I was so traumatized by the fear of hurting her again, I isolated myself in my bedroom. I thought I did the right thing by doing so, but I realized I was wrong and that by doing so, I was still hurting her emotionally, making it seem like I didn't care. That's why when I was arrested for the winter I had unintentionally cast on Arendelle, I knew I had to make it up to Anna for my behavior in some way. I told Hans to summon Anna so I could make up for how I treated her and leave Arendelle in her hands," Elsa explained. Mattias nodded.

Meanwhile, Anna woke up in a cavern, bound up in rope. The man had cast a sleeping spell on her. "Nice nap?" The mysterious man asked. Anna glared at him.

"Release me!"

"Return the fifth spirit and I'll let you go," he said. Anna started laughing.

"You're a little late to the party. I'm also the fifth spirit," she said.

"Really? What are your gifts?"

"None whatsoever. But I connect the ordinary to the magical portion."

"You have disrupted the natural order, by springing the magical fifth spirit from the Enchanted Forest. Undo it and you and your friends will be released", he again repeated his demand.

"Why should I? That's my sister!"

"Sister or not, you betrayed the order!"

"What order?!" Anna spat.

"Magic and muggle don't bleed together, they're not supposed to intermingle together!"

"Well, maybe your order needs an updated rulebook! I'm not going to have my sister be subjected to some freaking prophecy that should have been sprung on us EARLIER! Besides, did you know that magic and ordinary intermingled once before?" The man stopped, shock still.

"That's right. Our mother came from the Enchanted Forest. So, according to you, our father broke the rules when he married her. She had disguised herself as a mail-order bride from some other kingdom, but nope, she was from the Enchanted Forest", Anna said smugly. "You're missing the point. Whatever prophecy you're trying to pull here, it can be flawed, it can be twisted in ways you can't possibly have foreseen. Like this one, 'The unification of both cultures will only occur when one ultimately forms the tie'. It was one riddle I had been told by our father, who had told it to me at one point in our childhoods. You're also asking me to abandon my sister to her fate, which is something I will NEVER, EVER do because in spite of everything that happened, she is still the most important thing in the world: my big sister", Anna explained.

"It's touching, but your sister made her choice and it's time you made yours. Release her, `` the man demanded.

"No. Do I regret getting us trapped? Yes, but I don't regret taking my sister", Anna remained firm.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your time here because you will be spending it with your sister then until you repent," the man turned on his boot and walked away. Anna puzzled. Why did she need to repent? She didn't have time to think, because she heard Mattias, Kristoff and Elsa appear.

"Anna, are you there?" Kristoff asked.

"Mattias, Kristoff, Elsa! Over here!" Anna waved her hand over. "How did you find me?"

"We followed the magic when that guy spirited you away", Mattias said as Kristoff and Elsa untied Anna. Anna told them about the confrontation.

"So, basically, he's saying "Unless you repent, we're stuck ``?'' Kristoff said.

"Yeah, pretty much," Anna said.

"Anna, we were given multiple warnings about not inferring with the rules!"

"Well, maybe the rules need to be broken, Kristoff! Elsa is my family! What if your troll family was separated from you in some fashion and some asine rule said they couldn't be with you on the same plane? What would you have done? Would you resign yourself to it or try to find a way to be with them?" Anna asked. Kristoff was shocked. He never looked at it that way before.

"Of course I would, but it's not that simple. Nothing is simple anymore, Anna and as soon as you accept that, the sooner we'll get out of here", Kristoff. He returned to the carriage.

"Same old Kristoff. You'll learn to love him", Anna said.

"Anna? What did he mean when he said, ``Until you repent'?" Elsa asked.

"He means I'll say that I'll bring you back to the Enchanted Forest, then he'll let us go," Anna said matter-of-factly.

"Then say you'll bring me back!" Anna gasped at Elsa's line.

"Not you too!"

"This is my duty, Anna! Why can't you just accept it!" Elsa tried to reason, but Anna finally snapped.

"BECAUSE YOU ARE MY SISTER! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO LIVE TOGETHER, BREATHE THE SAME AIR AND GROW OLD TOGETHER! REMEMBER THAT PROMISE, ELSA! YOU SAID WE WOULD GROW OLD TOGETHER!" Elsa gasped as she had a flashback to when she made that promise.

"Elsie, are we gonna live together, breathe the same air and grow old together?" A 3-year-old Anna had asked.

"Of course we will," A 5-year-old Elsa said.

"You promise?"

"I promise". It had been a childhood promise they had made together, but given the recent revelations about Elsa and Anna's divergent destinies, one that probably wouldn't be fulfilled. Anna herself also had to admit that she wasn't sure if Elsa would have been brought back to Arendelle Castle after Iduna completed her training had things played out the way they were supposed to have been.

"I did say that," she said softly.

"Don't you see, Elsa? This isn't right for us to live apart. You stayed with us for six days straight and nothing bad happened!" Anna reasoned.

"Yes, because I willingly did so! Here, it's different, you took me against my will, completely disregarding the consequences!" Anna forced a laugh.

"As I recall, I did not hold a crossbow to your head and say 'Get in the carriage'. The way I see it, you WILLINGLY went into the carriage and got inside. That should have put us in the clear," she said. Elsa remained unconvinced. "Well, I guess we're stuck here, because while I'm sorry that I got us trapped, I'm not sorry for taking you. I can build you a cottage on the border side, " Anna said. Elsa sighed.

"Which side?"

"Our side," Anna answered bluntly.

"Enough, Anna! You think giving me a house on the border designed to be on what is effectively YOUR side is going to make me change my mind? I accepted my fate but I meant it when I said you are still my sister and that didn't change. It never did," Elsa said, wrapping Anna in a hug.

"Why can't things be the way they used to be before you followed the voice?" Anna asked.

"I sometimes catch myself wishing that too", Elsa finally admitted as the sisters walked back to the carriage.

**AN: For anyone taking issue with Anna's portrayal, remember that Anna is looking at the situation from a family perspective. Everyone else is too duty-bound to see this through Anna's point of view, except Elsa. Also, here's a glimpse in Anna's thought process: Anna accepted Elsa's fate, but what she thinks is there's no real reason they need to be apart again, because, realistically, she feels like she really only had her sister back for a really short period of time because most of that time, they were isolated, so she would naturally feel that way. This is what Anna means when she tells Elsa she'll have a house on the border side, but it's conventionally facing more of Arendelle's side, the side that, per the other characters, Elsa is meant to stay out of and Anna is meant to stay in. Also, to the reviewer that said I should have added a Character Death warning to Frozen As It Should Have Been, I did so. R&R!**


	4. Chapter 4

After the sisters entered the carriage, Mattias smacked the reigns and the carriage sped down the path. While in the carriage, Kristoff turned to Anna. "Anna, just say you're sorry for what you did and this will end!" he said.

"I can't because I'll lose her! Kristoff, when our parents died, she became the only biological relative I have left," Anna said. She turned to Elsa and gripped her arm. "I lost you three times already. I am NOT losing you now!" she said with a hint of a growl as the carriage sped up. Eventually, the carriage smacked into the edge of the border. "The border ends here," Mattias announced. He turned the carriage around and sped back down the path.

After a few hours, Mattias smacked the reigns and brought the carriage to a stop. "It's getting dark, we best make camp for the night," he said. They stopped at a grove and Mattias released the horses so they could graze. Mattias later turned to Anna. "Your majesty, you have a minute?" Anna nodded, but the look on his face told her she was in for a very nasty tongue-lashing, judging by his expression. Their father always sported that same look when he was getting into disciplinary mode.

"Your majesty, I may not know the full extent of your situation but I am done biting my tongue and I will risk my job over this, but what you had done, I didn't sign up for when I agreed to serve you," he said. Anna nodded.

"You're right, you deserve to know. See, Elsa and I, we had a relationship when we were kids and one night, Elsa had accidentally hit me in the head with her powers when we were playing with them. Our parents brought me to the trolls to heal me. I was healed, but our parents made the decision to keep Elsa and I separated. I forgave Elsa, but I still have the emotional scars and when she told me she wouldn't be returning to Arendelle after our journey, I put on a happy face but, inside, I was breaking, because it felt like I lost her all over again!" Anna finally broke down and sobbed into her general's armor. Mattias enveloped Anna into a platonic hug as she cried. Unbeknownst to the two, Elsa had been listening in on the conversation and her heart shattered in two. It pained her to see Anna so distraught and knowing it was by her hands. She thought back numerous times during their isolation to when Anna would just collapse and beg her for company, those times were when Elsa almost threw open her door and comfort her, but her resolve steeled, and she didn't realize it then, but she had been paying for it ever since her coronation. Anna's resolve to marry Hans wasn't out of genuine love and affection, it was the result of the backlash of the isolation Elsa forced both Anna and herself to endure. She also saw the look on Anna's face when she sent her and Olaf to the cavern after saying they would finish the quest together. She turned to Kristoff.

"Did I do the right thing?" Kristoff shrugged.

"I'm afraid I really can't answer that, Elsa. It really only boils down to you and if you feel like you did or you didn't. You made the decision to follow the voice, You made the decision to stay here and leave Anna behind again, even though you had an opportunity not to. You may not have seen how this decision affected her, but I have. She fights the servants whenever they try to throw away your stuff, she fights them whenever they try to renovate your room. Anything that comes to you, she fights them over. It's like she's deluded herself into thinking you will return permanently one day. We've all said you are not coming back, because we've accepted that Arendelle was never meant to be your home. Anna has not accepted this fact and to be honest, I can actually see why. She feels your time together was cut short and a lot of promises made ended up broken, `` he explained. Elsa nodded.

"Maybe I made the wrong decision, then. I'll have Yelena chose somebody else to be the fifth spirit. Or I'll just have Anna do it," Elsa said.

"Trade with Anna and we'll be right back at square one," Kristoff said.

"Maybe Yelena knows a loophole that can allow me to join Anna but still be the fifth spirit," Elsa said.

"Won't hurt to find out," Kristoff agreed. That morning, Elsa went to have a chat with Yelena about whether or not an alternate arrangement could be made. Yelena shook her head.

"I'm afraid there is no other way. We're simply not meant to mingle among non-magic folk. I know how much you love your sister and all that, but the prophecy has to be honored."

"Wasn't there something you said about the Enchanted Forest merging with Arendelle when one ultimately forms the tie?" Elsa asked. That got the wheels in Yelena's head spinning. Maybe Anna was the key to this after all.

**AN: Hmmmmm, what's going to happen? R&R!**


	5. Chapter 5

"So, you're saying there is no sixth spirit but someone could ultimately unite the Enchanted Forest and Arendelle?" Kristoff asked in disbelief. Yelena nodded.

"It's like I told Elsa. She and Anna were meant to be the bridge between the magical side and the ordinary side. With the exception of them, we're not supposed to intermingle. But, since you obviously love your sister dearly and it's obvious you two are miserable without each other, there may be a way that could let Elsa stay with Anna without compromising the balance," she said. Kristoff realized something.

"Elsa, ask the spirits if Anna can be allowed to stay," he prompted. Elsa nodded.

"Gale, Nokk, Bruni, Giants!" she commanded. All the spirits assembled.

"What is it you desire, mistress?" Nokk asked. Everyone else heard Nokk only neigh, but to Elsa, he was speaking perfect English.

"I need permission to allow my sister to stay with me here in the Enchanted Forest. It is very obvious she is hurting over what she perceives as abandonment and betrayal. I abandoned her once and when I swore I won't do it again, when we quested here, I got so wrapped up in finding out the truth I abandoned her again. Show mercy, let her stay", Elsa pleaded.

"She always had the power to stay with you as long as she wanted, just as you did, but she's needed among her own kind. However, there is one way to make sure you two can be together without going back and forth, since it's obvious how this separation is opening up old wounds", one of the Earth giants rumbled.

"What is it?"

"Here is a riddle, to guess if you can. The unification of both cultures will only occur when one ultimately forms the tie", the giant's brother said. "Is that all, mistress?"

"Yes, thank you", the spirits nodded and returned to their places. Elsa turned to Kristoff and Yelena. "So, she could have always stayed here if she chose to do so? Why didn't she say anything?"

"So, basically, you didn't so much abandon her as much as she abandoned you. So, why was she beating herself up over you abandoning her?" Kristoff wondered. Elsa thought it over.

"Probably because she didn't realize she had that option."

"Or, maybe,'' a voice said. "It's because Arendelle still needed a ruler." Kristoff and Elsa turned around and saw Anna. She had been listening in on the conversation. "To be honest, I did think about staying with you, like 'You're staying, I'm staying' Why? It's like what you told me when you said you would not be returning. We're sisters and that will never change, but then I thought: If I lived with you in the forest, who would rule Arendelle? Kristoff wouldn't. The people wouldn't accept him because he wasn't born into royalty. So I decided that it would be best for me if I stayed in Arendelle and ruled. I'll resign and stay here," Anna offered. Elsa shook her head.

"No, this is for the best". Anna flashed back to when she tried to get Elsa to come home, but she refused, saying it's better for everyone. Back in the present, Anna's pedestal for Elsa broke that instant and she said three words that she had never said to Elsa in her entire life.

"I HATE YOU, ELSA! I! HATE! YOU!" she screamed and stomped off. Elsa stood, shock still.

**AN: Ouch. R&R!**


	6. Chapter 6

Anna stomped onward. Finally she made her decision. "SPIRITS! I'M SORRY! YOU CAN HAVE ELSA BACK!" she shouted. Mattias stumbled forward. "Did it work?" she asked. He shook his head.

"It did not,'' he responded. Anna's face fell.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it didn't work. Unless, there's something else that's powering the barrier, `` he theorized. Anna thought back to the winter and how it was powered by Elsa's lingering insecurities and fear of being outcast if her powers got outed. Anna also remembered the barrier didn't appear until after she tried to take Elsa and the timing of it made it seem like the spirits were punishing her for it. Nope. The barrier was all Anna's doing the whole time, because of her deep-seated resentment towards her sister leaving her to live with the spirits and really not being able to accept her sister's choice, because the after effects of the separation still lingered. Anna needed Elsa in her life to ensure she wasn't getting abandoned again, because like she told Kristoff, Elsa was the only biological family member she had left. Anna slept away from Elsa and Kristoff that night, claiming she needed time to think. Elsa accepted her choice but later on, she heard a voice.

"Anna, Anna," it said.

"Elsa?" she sat up. Nope, it wasn't Elsa. It was Gale.

"Anna, follow me," it said.

"I don't understand. Elsa is the only one who can understand you!"

"You WILL understand, now follow me", Gale intoned. Anna didn't resist, so she followed Gale into some kind of a cavern. Anna realized this was the cavern Elsa banished her to ensure she couldn't follow her.

"Your sister's fate was sealed when we chose to gift her with her powers."

"Yes, I know that!"

"Shut up and listen! Your sister was never meant to reside in Arendelle long term. That's why we attacked the kingdom when she released us", it admitted.

"So our parents' death? Were you behind that too?"

"Yes and no. We were going to let them past because your mother was our friend and your father was completely innocent. But Nokk and I went too far with the storm we conjured up, since we were still angry about your grandfather's betrayal and his son was on the ship," Gale said.

"So, pretty much everything that happened after our parents' death was a set-up to get Elsa to uncover her true destiny and leave Arendelle?"

"Yes"

"But, why didn't you appear then?"

"Because we needed you two to reconcile your estrangement and Arendelle needed to reconcile with its' queen. We figured in three years, your bond would be strong enough to outlast the inevitable separation again. If Elsa knew of her fate early on, she would ditch you and Arendelle and live with us, this would have cemented your estrangement and you would have resented your sister more than you already have. After we accidentally killed your parents, we realized we meddled enough and decided to just let things take their natural course," Gale explained. "You can hear us, Anna. You can always hear us, because of your mother, `` it said, using a leaf to stroke Anna's face.

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"Would you have let me pass The Dark Sea? Because Elsa was afraid something would have happened to me, which is why she sent me away, claiming it was for my safety"

"Only your sister was able to tame Nokk, but yes, we would have allowed you to pass. Is that all?"

"Yes, thank you." When Anna left the cavern, her heart was burning with all sorts of emotion, when she met with one of the Earth Giants.

"Hey, here's something to mull over. If Elsa let you come with her, two things would have occurred: She would have hesitated or you could have stopped the ascension once you realized what was going to happen. She ultimately needed to cut you loose after a certain point. So like it or not, she had a point, `` he grumbled.

"I know she did, but she had promised we would finish out the quest together, regardless of what it entailed. It's more the fact that I had been backstabbed by a prince who I thought loved me but was only using me to get what he wanted, so it left an emotional scar on my heart, so when Elsa did what she did, I thought she only used me to get her to that point. At the very least she didn't say what the prince had said when he backstabbed me, `` Anna said.

"What did this prince say when he betrayed you?"

"He said nobody ever loved me and considering where Elsa and I were at in our relationship at that point, he was, in his own twisted way, correct,'' Anna said. She explained what happened with Hans.

"Hey, you listen to us. Don't you EVER say you are worthless, unwanted and unloved. It was you who led us to destroy the dam and you saved Elsa from being executed by this prince. You are NOT worthless, you are wanted and you are loved. It's obvious what this prince did left you scared", the giant said.

"Thanks, I needed that remainder,'' Anna said. The giant nodded and lumbered off. Anna found a rock to sit on, mulling over what she had learned. But then, her thoughts drifted to Elsa, who she, in the heat of the moment, said she outright hated. "What have I done?" she said to herself. She made a decision. She was going to apologize and lift this barrier so they could all possibly go home together.

**AN: For the flack I received for making Anna say she hates Elsa, she really doesn't. You have to recognize that in the heat of the moment, you say or do things you obviously don't mean and don't realize you said it until the damage is already done. R&R!**


	7. Chapter 7

Anna ran back to where she was supposed to camp with Elsa and Kristoff and shook Elsa awake. "Elsa? ELSA! Wake Up!" she said.

"Why?"

"I need to talk to you about something," Elsa accompanied Anna to where she was sitting at.

"Well, you got me here, so what is it?"

"I'm sorry I yelled at you and said that I hate you. I really don't. It's just sometimes you say or do things that remind me of the time we were estranged or when Hans was using me. It brings up a lot of hurt I hadn't realized I was possessing, `` Anna said. When she also explained that Nokk would let Anna ride with her to Ahtohallan, Elsa's face fell again.

"So, there was no reason for me to be concerned for your own safety?"

"Yeah, pretty much. But according to one of the Earth Giants, in order for you to fully transform, you had to 'cut me loose' because if you let me stay, he said you would have hesitated or I would have stopped it once I realized what was happening"

"Wait, you said the Earth Giant talked to you?"

"Thank our mother for that. Apparently, I can also communicate with the spirits as well. Also, I know you were concerned for my safety and all, but it doesn't change the fact that you promised me we would finish out the trek TOGETHER and you broke that promise. Granted it did turn out to be better, it's just, I didn't want to lose you again. When Olaf faded away, I knew I had lost you and I CAN'T lose you again, `` Anna said, clinging to Elsa.

"If it makes you feel any better, I did regret sending you away the second I did it. I was just so wrapped up in finding out the truth of my identity I didn't consider your feelings, nor try and figure out if there was a way you could have come with me before taking that final step. I didn't even know where the boat was going to take you. The Earth Giant was wrong, you were NEVER holding me back, Anna. You could have been there with me and I still would have done it anyway because we were too far ahead to have second thoughts," Elsa admitted.

"And I would have done nothing to stop it, either. Also, in response to you not knowing where the boat was taking me and Olaf, considering your powers respond to your emotions, you were probably thinking, 'Just get Anna and Olaf to safety' so we would have ended up either at a shortline or the cavern. Sort of like how you created Marshmallow to get us out of your palace because you were afraid you would hurt me again, `` Anna said. Suddenly, they saw a light shoot downwards towards the barrier and it disintegrated, freeing them from their self-imposed imprisonment. As the sisters got up to go back to the carriage, Elsa told Anna something.

"Anna, I'm not going back to Arendelle, I'm staying here," Anna's face fell, the memory of their childhood promise replaying in her head.

"But Your future is in Arendelle, with me, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf!"

"Anna, the future isn't written. It can be changed, you know that. It's like what everyone has been telling you. Your place is in Arendelle, my place is here with the Northuldrans and the spirits," Elsa said gently, putting her hands on Anna's shoulders.

"Then, if you're staying, I'll resign the queenship and stay here with you. It doesn't have to be this way. In fact, the only one who's making it seem to be this way is you. You feel like you HAVE to stay here, because if you really think about it, nothing's outright preventing you from coming back with us. Be honest and answer me this question: Based on what you have learned about your powers and us being the Fifth Spirit, would you still have come back to Arendelle with us or were you going to stay here? Because everyone's been telling me that we were always supposed to be split apart after a certain point and I shouldn't be meddling in things not to be meddled with," Anna said. Elsa was shocked, she never considered that before, much less the idea that they were meant to be split apart much earlier. "Pabbie also said I wasn't supposed to know about your powers. I would know you, but not your magic. That's why he wiped my memories of your magic when you hurt me the first time. You wanna know something else? The spirits also had a hand in our parents' death, unintentionally of course. I think what they were hoping for was that the trauma of the death would bring us back together after we were isolated and the journey could begin, but when you refused to talk to me after the funeral, this became a 'They need to deal with this, on their own' situation. They didn't appear because they wanted us to work on our issues for three years, so when the parting was inevitable, they trusted that our bond would be stronger to outlast the separation", Anna admitted. Elsa's lip quivered.

"To answer your previous question, I DID consider going back with you, but it's like I told you when we parted, one needed to stay here, the other was needed in Arendelle. I can be who I am without hurting anyone and you don't have to worry about another winter. Also, I couldn't bear the idea of being separated from you if things took their natural course," Elsa admitted.

"So, come home with us!" Anna urged. Elsa finally snapped.

"I AM HOME!" Waving her hands, Anna was lifted off the ground and thrown into the carriage. As if possessed by the magic, the carriage took off, with Mattias chasing after it. He didn't get very far as the carriage sped off so fast, giving up when it rounded the first corner. Elsa stomped off, but recovered her senses and stared at her hands in shame.

"What have I done?"

**AN: Bare in mind, this story is only going to get more and more serious from here on out. R&R!**


	8. Chapter 8

The carriage sped down the path, carrying Anna and due to Elsa's wish that Anna be sent back to where she belonged, the carriage would not stop until it reached Arendelle. When it did, the carriage deposited Anna at the gates of the palace and took off back to the Enchanted Forest. Dejectedly, Anna knocked on the gates, which opened to let the queen through. "Your majesty, how did it go?" Kai asked.

"Not very well. Maybe I should just leave her alone. Everyone was right all along. I should just leave well enough alone, `` she said. Kristoff and Mattias returned a day or so after and were surprised to see Anna already back.

"How did you get back so fast?" they inquired.

"Elsa enchanted the carriage to send me back here. She made it perfectly clear that she doesn't want to return home. Everyone who was telling me to leave well enough alone, you were all right, `` she said sadly.

Over the next few days, Anna made no attempts to contact Elsa or travel to the Enchanted Forest again. Elsa contacted Anna again and again, but Anna never answered back, going on with her life. No more charades, no more visits from Elsa, no more anything. That night, she had a very strange dream.

She and Elsa were at the edge of the Dark Sea. Elsa goes forward, Anna stops her, saying she's not letting her die, but instead of saying she's not letting Anna die, Elsa smirks and says "Oh, Anna, if only there was somebody out there who loved you", throwing Anna to the ground and takes off across the sea. Anna heard footsteps approach her. She turned around, it was Hans.

"You!" she growled.

"I guess I was right all along, Elsa never did love you. You can not escape the truth, Anna! ELSA DOES NOT LOVE YOU!"

"GET! OUT! OF MY HEAD!" Anna screamed.

"Anna! Anna! Wake up! Wake up!" Kristoff said, shaking Anna. Finally, Anna came to. "It was a nightmare," he said.

"Hold me. Just hold me," Anna pleaded. Kristoff did so, holding her shaking form.

Unbeknownst to Anna, Elsa was riding Nokk across the fjord to get to the castle. The reason? She had not heard from her sister since she had sent her out of the forest. Reaching the castle, Elsa disembarked her horse and ran to the castle, unsure what to expect. "Anna? ANNA!" she said. Hearing Anna's sobs, Elsa took off towards them, finally reaching Anna's bedroom and throwing the door open. Almost instantly, her heart broke at the sight of Anna huddled into Kristoff, sobbing. Elsa climbed into Anna's bed and tried to give her a comforting hug, but Anna resisted, breaking Elsa further. Kristoff explained Anna had a nightmare involving her and Hans. Elsa decided to stay the night.

**AN: R&R!**


	9. Chapter 9

Anna woke up to find Elsa on her bed. "What are you doing here?" she asked, shocking Elsa.

"I haven't heard from you in 7 days and that's all you have to say?"

"You made it perfectly clear when you sent me out that you didn't want to return home to Arendelle", Anna began ranting.

"Anna, I didn't mean to," Elsa started, but Anna continued.

"Hans was right all along. You don't love me, you never did. `` Anna was cut off by Elsa putting her hands on Anna's face.

"Anna, look at me. Whatever Hans said in your dream and if it was me he was referring to when he said what he said, it is NOT TRUE. Everything I did, including my aloof facade, was because I love you. I will say that every single time until I take my last breath. I love you and I will ALWAYS love you," Elsa said. This made Anna feel a little better but she still needed to get some stuff off her chest.

"Elsa, to be honest, You know I love Kristoff, right?" Elsa nodded.

"I feel like there's some things I can't discuss with him like I can with you," Anna admitted.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. I really don't know. That's why I've been so gung-ho on trying to get you to come home. You are my best friend, and the more we traveled on our quest to uncover the truth about your powers, the more I felt like I was losing you, even more when you sent me away on that boat, like in that second, you forgot what mattered the most. I need you just as much as you need me. Sisters are supposed to live together, breathe together and grow old together, Elsa, that's the oath we took, regardless of what our true roles are," Anna said.

Elsa departed for the Enchanted Forest that afternoon, but for the first time, she hesitated to enter it. "You are my best friend, and the more we traveled on our quest to uncover the truth about your powers, the more I felt like I was losing you, even more when you sent me away on that boat, like in that second, you forgot what mattered the most. I need you just as much as you need me. Sisters are supposed to live together, breathe together and grow old together, Elsa, that's the oath we took, regardless of what our true roles are", Anna's voice reminded her. Memories of her and Anna's childhood played in her head: Being told Iduna was pregnant again and Elsa was going to be a big sister, Anna being born, making the vow, the accident, the isolation, not being able to see Anna grow up and not being able to grow up with her, up to the present. Elsa looked at her reflection in the water and saw herself from before the ascension, curled up and sinking further down.

"We're sisters. That will never change," Elsa recalled saying to Anna on the day she explained she wasn't returning. Suddenly, she knew where she always belonged and while it's true she did want her freedom, she wasn't going to sacrifice it at the cost of her family. "YELENA!" she shouted. "YELENA!" Finally, the old woman appeared.

"What is it, Elsa?"

"I can't do this anymore! I know where my place is now! It was never here with the spirits! It's in Arendelle!" Elsa ranted.

"Elsa! Elsa! You're missing the point! There was never anything stopping you from going home. If you feel Arendelle is where you truly belong, then go there!" Yelena explained. Elsa was surprised at this.

"But I thought as the fifth spirit I was supposed to stay in the forest with them, that's what you've been telling me and now you're saying it was always fine for me to return to Arendelle on a permanent basis? Something isn't adding up," she said. Yelena agreed.

"Normally, the spirits are bound to the Enchanted Forest, but you are the exception. Your spirit manifested in you, a human, so that means you have a choice: You can return to your family or continue as you were before. You always had this choice and when you first came to me with this dilemma, I should have been more open from the start about your exception instead of stringing you along. Forgive me for putting you through all this, please, forgive me," she begged. Elsa patted her friend on the shoulder. "Plus," Yelena added. "I don't think you would adjust to our lifestyle. We're nomadic by nature and depending on the time of year, we uproot our campsite." Elsa had to suppress a laugh.

"Anna had said in one of her letters the trolls were telling her the same thing, going so far as to say I would side with the spirits if they tried anything against me,'' she said.

"Maybe they were merely testing her resolve," Yelena suggested. Elsa shrugged.

"Probably, but you forget those were the same trolls that indirectly caused a lot of Anna and I's issues," she said after finding her voice.

"That may be so as well, but you also forget that sometimes everything happens for a reason. Sometimes, people tend to know more than what they're letting on and do things accordingly, with everyone else none the wiser", the shaman said. Elsa thought back to when their parents brought them to the trolls to heal Anna and Pabbie asked if she was born with the powers or cursed, not even asking exactly how Anna got hurt. Yelena had been right, they DID know more than what they were letting on. That same evening, Elsa bid farewell to Yelena and the Northudra tribe, mounted Nokk and rode back to Arendelle. She was going home.

**AN: To the reviewers who told me to ignore the troll reviews, it means a whole lot to me as a writer to know that there are readers who accept the story and my creative choices (I thought there were reviews calling for my head when I dropped chapter 5, because that was when those reviews started being posted and at first, I thought some readers didn't accept the Wham Line at the end, but when they started saying I should never have posted this story in the first place, I began thinking, yep, it's trolls trying to provoke me). The goal for the story was to operate within the confines of the films, which was to operate on a 'more realistic' fairy tale standard, meaning, yes, I will be digging up a LOT of latent emotional baggage that SHOULD have been expressed in both the films and spin-off material more thoroughly, and the characters may make choices readers may not agree with but they make the more realistic sense given their history and character types so to those who accept these choices, it means a lot to me. R&R!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Anna! ANNA!" Kristoff shouted. Anna looked up from the decree she was drafting.

"What is it, Kristoff?"

"It's Elsa!"

"If it's not visiting day, I'm not interested." Anna returned to the decree. She knew that Elsa usually sent a note with Gale informing her she was coming to visit, but since she didn't receive a note, there was no reason to assume Elsa would be coming today. A knock sounded. "Come in, Kai!" Kristoff said. The manservant did so.

"Your majesty, your sister is here to see you," he said. Anna slammed her pen down.

"Show her in,'' she said. Next thing she knew, she was tackled back towards the ground by Elsa in a big bearhug. "ELSA! Let me up!" she said. Elsa did so.

"Sorry, I just got so excited at being back home that I went overboard," she sheepishly admitted. Anna got up and brushed her dress off.

"So, why did you come today?" Anna asked. Elsa positioned her and Anna on the couch of Anna's office.

"After I left, I did some thinking and I came to this realization that my place was here. It was always supposed to be here. I spoke with Yelena and she told me that normally, the spirits are bound to the Enchanted Forest, but since I was the exception, I could choose where I was supposed to be but still serve them. You were right all along, Anna. My place is here," she explained.

"So, you came back to stay?" Anna asked. Elsa nodded.

"If you'll let me,'' she said. Anna agreed.

"Elsa, you are always welcome here. But, we'll have to figure out how to work the queen scenario. You resigned and I succeeded you as queen with Kristoff as king. This was all done under the assumption that you would not be returning on a permanent basis. You returning on a permanent basis throws a wrench into things. Now, if you want to resume the job, I'll hold a conference, publicly resign and you will be back in the chair," Anna stopped to gauge Elsa's reaction to this revelation.

"Anna, did I give any real indication I wanted the throne to begin with?" She asked.

"No, but Elsa, aside from that little hiccup with the winter, you were an excellent queen. Anyway, if you don't want the chair again, I can designate you my heir apparent, meaning you'll technically be princess again. I'll-" Elsa put her hand up to stop Anna.

"Anna, I'm going to make one thing clear. I did not come back just to be thrust into the same conundrum that has already been hammered into our heads I'm not supposed to have a part in,`` she said. Anna rolled her eyes.

"Well, you have to do something! You can't just lounge around in the castle all day if this is where you plan to live, `` Anna said. Elsa thought it over.

"Tell you what. I'll be one of your attendants and most importantly, resume my role as sister and unofficial confidant," Elsa offered. Anna nodded in agreement. Fortunately for Elsa, she wasn't banished to the servant quarters like the other servants were, something that made her the envy of the more ambitious servants, because Elsa was the lady's maid that had unfettered access to the queen and none of the servants were allowed unfettered access to her. Anna finally got her wish to have her family complete again, but one night, while everyone else was asleep in their beds, something occurred that will change Arendelle's fate forever.

**AN: The plot thickens! R&R!**


	11. Chapter 11

Anna was awoken by a mysterious voice. "Anna," it said. She looked for the source of the voice.

"Who's there? Elsa, is that you?"

"Anna, follow me," it said. Anna immediately realized she, too, was being beckoned by the voice and unlike Elsa, she wasn't going to resist it, lest anything happen to the kingdom, because the last time Elsa resisted, the spirits attacked.

"Lead on, o mysterious voice that for whatever reason chose me! But first, can I get ready?" Anna got dressed, then she went to the stables to retrieve her horse and betting on Elsa and Kristoff finding her when they realized she was gone, she also grabbed some parchment to take with her, as well as a pen. Mimicking the call of the voice, she got a response and took off in that direction. She followed the voice up to the Enchanted Forest. "Why would the voice lead me back here?" she wondered. Following a brief hesitation, she slapped the reigns and guided her horse through the forest. She called to the voice, and it responded.

"Go right", Anna obeyed.

"Go left", Anna obeyed.

"Keep going straight", Anna obeyed. Eventually she came to a tiny cavern. Disembarking her horse, Anna paused. Removing her parchment and pen from her satchel, Anna scribbled 'Enchanted Forest, Go right, go left, go straight until you see my horse' on it. "Gale!" she shouted. The wind spirit appeared.

"Yes?"

"Take this to Elsa. She'll know what to do," Anna said.

"Your wish is my command," and Gale took off with the letter as Anna steeled herself, let down her hair and entered the cavern.

Back in Arendelle, Elsa and Kristoff were pouring over the letter. "What do you think? Should we follow?" Kristoff asked.

"Well, obviously, she wouldn't have sent this letter complete with explicit instructions on where to find her if she didn't want us to follow her," Elsa said. Kristoff agreed, got Sven from the stables and the two set off to find Anna before something terrible happened to her.

Back at the cavern, Anna had found a cavern painting depicting a story. "It's true. We did live among humans at one point," Yelena said. Anna turned around.

"So, what happened?"

"They feared what they don't understand, so they took the easy route and drove us out. That's how we came to reside in the forest," the old woman explained. Anna thought back to when Elsa's powers were outed, EVERYONE was ready to write her off, because that was it: They simply feared what they didn't understand. But considering they were fine with having a magic queen for three years, they eventually came around. "Like I said, you and your sister were meant to be the bridge between magic and the ordinary, but there is another part of the prophecy we should have clarified. The unification of both cultures will only occur when one ultimately forms the tie. That is your ultimate purpose, Anna! You are the binding tie that will connect all of us! Just like how Elsa connects the magical side!" Anna's mouth fell open at this revelation.

"Wait, me? But I'm just Anna, Queen of Arendelle", she tried to say, but she thought back to when Elsa got outed and how everyone else wrote her off, she did not and when they sided with Hans, she exposed him as a traitor when he was willing to kill Elsa, disguised as an attempt to execute her for her winter.

"ANNA!" Elsa's voice reverberated through the cavern.

"Elsa! Kristoff! Over here!" Anna waved them down and once again, Elsa crashed into her and knocked her on the ground.

"Anna, you moron! You had us all terrified when we woke up and found that you had disappeared in the middle of the night like that!" Elsa scolded.

"Let me up!" Anna grunted. Suddenly, the voice sounded again and Anna sounded back. Seeing the worried looks on their faces, she turned back towards them. "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine. I love both of you, `` she said as she pulled the two into a big hug. Then she moved forward, responding to the voice along the way. Elsa and Kristoff secretly followed behind her to make sure nothing happened. Suddenly, Anna took one final step and something began to happen to her. As both Elsa and Kristoff watched in shock, Anna was enveloped into a bright light and she disappeared.

"Anna, where are you?!" Elsa shouted.

"ANNA!" Kristoff shouted.

"Elsa, Kristoff, up here!" The two looked up and saw an apparition of Anna smiling down upon them. Anna looked beautiful with her hair down. "Elsa, remember that riddle Papa told us about the binding tie?" she asked. Elsa nodded. "Well, it turns out that the Northuldrians lived among humans at one point!" she exclaimed.

"What happened?"

"What happened to you was exactly what happened to them. All because of one small thing: They feared what they don't understand, `` Anna said. "I'm supposed to unite both sides!" she then added, shocking both of them.

"But, the bridge", Elsa began.

"Elsa, you're not seeing the whole picture. Even though we united the two sides, the bridge still isn't there. That's where the tie comes in! Those with magic should not be excommunicated or driven out of their homes just because they're different! They should still be accepted and allowed to walk among us. Because at the end of the day, they're still human!" Anna said. Elsa smiled, seeing the truth in Anna's words, particularly in light of how she was treated when her powers were exposed and when she accidentally shot Anna in the head and heart. Then Anna closed her eyes, launched her head backwards and lowered her arms downward, having been extended outward the whole time as the magical portion representing the tie manifested inside her, which she had earned because of her compassion towards Elsa when her powers were exposed at her coronation. Suddenly, magic started to zoom upward Anna's body. Extending her arms to catch them, they manifested in sleeves and in that instant, Anna had gained a brand new dress with the colors of all the spirits, even Elsa, with a little bit of brown, for the ordinary added in, as she moved her head around to guide the magic around her, forming the rest of the outfit. Again, a pillar of light shot into the cavern, bringing down a curled up Anna with it, hair down and dressed in exactly the same dress Elsa and Kristoff saw her transform into. The light then disappeared, leaving Anna curled up on the ground.

"Anna?" both Elsa and Kristoff asked. Anna roused herself and stared at her husband and sister.

"Thank you", she said. The two seemed puzzled.

"For what?"

"For both your support," she said. She then looked upward. "And thank you for getting me to this point". The voice manifested as Iduna, who smiled and nodded, then she opened her mouth.

"Anna, you never gave up on your sister, even though we almost did, so thank you. Your father and I, we were at our wits' end trying to find a solution to her powers. Eventually, I caved and revealed to him I knew what happened and knew where to go, but we needed a cover story. Obviously, we didn't make it," she said with a tinge of sadness. "I also hope you can forgive us for the isolation and understand why we made the choices we did", she added. Anna stared at her mother's spirit.

"I know why you did, Elsa told me everything. I forgave Elsa for her actions, but what I can't forgive you for is shutting me out. Every time I tried to ask 'Why can't Elsa play?' 'Why do I barely see Elsa anymore?' both you and Papa told me stuff like 'she's sick' or 'She's training to be queen'. Those excuses were fine when I was younger, but the older I got, I really deserved to know what was going on," she said. She felt the hands of both Elsa and Kristoff on her shoulders.

"You are absolutely right. We actually discussed revealing the truth to you when you were a little bit older, but your father was still concerned about how you would have reacted, considering how close you too were," her mother's spirit said. "However, that doesn't change the fact that we are proud of both of you for what you both became," she added before disappearing. Anna wiped the tears that she hadn't realized were forming.

"You really shouldn't blame just them. Blame all three of us for not being more open with you when we should have been," Elsa said sadly. Anna looked at her.

"I forgave you, but Mama and Papa still have a long way to go before I can fully forgive them for what they did,'' she admitted. She then turned to the two, as well as Yelena, who had approached.

"Let's go home. All of us, `` she said. Yelena's mouth fell open.

**AN: So, we finally have the answer to that riddle I had inserted. Also, some trivia here: In case some readers missed it, the conversation about Elsa resuming being queen now that she's back is a reference to the deleted song 'Life's Too Short' from the first movie (The image Disney Wiki uses to represent the song is Anna holding out gloves for Elsa to put back on with Elsa basically asking if Anna thinks the story ends with her putting the gloves back on and Anna basically says****'Yup!'**),**albeit softened more to a 'I'm not returning to the status quo' kind of thing. Also, Elsa has her hair back in the ponytail she had in the first teaser trailer and Anna was indeed naked when she appeared to Elsa and Kristoff as the projection after she disappeared and since Kristoff is a guy, do the math. R&R!**


	12. Chapter 12

"You mean, I can come with you?" Yelana asked. Anna nodded.

"It's like I was telling Elsa all this time, nothing was really stopping you guys from coming back after we lifted the curse. If Arendelle is where you were from, then you deserve to return to your old home. Whoever drove you guys out, we're not responsible for their actions. Besides, they're probably dead at this point anyway, `` she said. Yelana started to cry, but then she asked, "What about?" but Anna held up her hand.

"Everyone, I want you to bring them all," she said. Yelana lost it and collapsed into Anna's arms.

"Thank you, your majesty. You are so kind. I can see why the spirits chose you," she said. Anna nodded.

"For some of them, it would be a huge culture shock, particularly Honeymaren and Ryder, who have grown up in the forest," Yelana said.

"Well, Elsa grew up in Arendelle, so she could help them acclimate to life there," Anna responded. Elsa nodded.

"I'll try my best," she said.

"I know you will," Anna and Kristoff had to return to Arendelle because a high-ranking chancellor from another kingdom had came in and he was demanding an audience with the queen, so Elsa remained in the Enchanted Forest, educating the Northuldra on what life in Arendelle would entail as well as catch up Yelana on what had changed since the years she had left. A lot of the more younger members of the Northuldra were agreeable to the idea of living in Arendelle, but there was discord among the elders about giving up their way of life for civilization. Elsa wrote to Anna, saying that there was discord among the council. But Anna was in a meeting, so they didn't receive a response until nightfall. The letter said to give the council a day or two and see if they change their minds. She had undergone a similar conversation with her council on a proposal on preserving the Enchanted Forest as a landmark in Arendelle's history. The younger council members were all for it, but the older council members refused, so Anna decided to wait a day or two to see if they would budge on the issue. A day passed and still there was no word from the rest of the council on what to do about preserving the Enchanted Forest, so Anna wrote to Elsa, saying she decided to allow a temporary preservation of the area until the older council members relented. Same deal with the older council members of the Northuldra. Per Elsa's letter, the council stated that they allowed the ones who were willing to go to civilization go, but they needed to discuss it more thoroughly. Anna compared it with her council, saying they typically are looking for excuses to not allow the notion, even if the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. You had access to significant medical care if you got sick or hurt, which you couldn't really get if you were living out in the wilderness as a nomad. The next day, Elsa and Yelana gathered up the ones who would go and they made the trek back to Arendelle.

The closer they got to Arendelle, Yelana was surprised to see how much the kingdom had changed in the years since King Tyrus had ruled. His son Runeard had succeeded him and since he harbored distrust of magic, he had anyone who displayed suspicious behavior or outright practiced magic arrested and driven out.

"If you had once lived in Arendelle, why did our grandfather not recognize you when he came to the Enchanted Forest to place the dam?" Elsa asked.

"He was only a boy when he took over the throne. Tyrus was one of our biggest supporters. He understood that we were to be treated as people, not objects. Runeard, however, thought differently. We don't even have powers and we were still arrested and exiled, all because we engaged in rituals and ranted about how spirits are around us," Yelana said sadly.

"Trust us, you will be welcome here,'' Elsa said as the carriage pulled to a stop in front of the castle, to be greeted by Queen Anna and King Kristoff.

"They're all yours," she said. Anna smiled.

The trio bowed. "Yelana, welcome home. Honeymaren, Ryder, welcome to Arendelle, `` Anna said.

**AN: Seems like Ryder got his dream to venture beyond the Enchanted Forest after all. R&R!**


	13. Chapter 13

"Okay, enough with the groveling," Anna said. The trio stood up, but then Ryder advanced towards Anna.

"Your majesty, may I kiss your hand?" he asked. Anna offered him her hand and he kissed it, but he got so into it that Kristoff had to cough. "Sorry, I don't know what came over me," he said sheepishly.

"It's all right. I have people kissing my hand all the time, `` Anna said. Then her demeanor changed. "Come", she said. Ryder gulped.

"Too much?" he asked Honeymaren.

"If the king has to cough to get you to stop kissing his wife's hand, then yes, it was too much", his sister said with a slight chuckle. The trio followed the Queen into her personal chambers. Anna sat behind the desk, leaving the trio standing up. Elsa stood next to Anna, with Kristoff on her side.

"Okay, first off, you three want anything? Wine? Fruit? Tea?" she asked like the gracious host she is. When the trio shook their heads, Anna continued. "Kristoff, take Ryder and Honeymaren to the stables. Show them where and who they would be working with, `` she said. Kristoff nodded.

"Follow me," he said. The brother and sister team followed him, leaving Anna, Elsa and Yelana alone.

"Sorry about that. This was a matter concerning balance," Anna said. "Did Elsa's decision to leave the Enchanted Forest unintentionally disrupt the natural order, because somebody accused me of betraying the order when I kidnapped her," she asked Yelana. The old woman shook her head.

"Elsa was the exception. Even though she had magical powers, she's still human. She made the choice to leave you, only to regret it, and made the choice to return. Nothing we said or did influenced her decisions", Yelana said. Anna still wasn't convinced.

"But, they accused me of betraying the prophecy,'' she argued. Yelana shrugged.

"Maybe he was a personification of your inner turmoil at what you've done, like that barrier,'' she suggested. Anna thought back and realized they weren't being watched that whole trek and no one spotted her take Elsa.

"So, why did I get knocked out and when I woke up, I was tied and gagged?" she inquired.

"Again, inner turmoil has a way of manifesting itself in many different ways," Yelana answered back.

"So, we were never trapped? I was never kidnapped?" Anna asked.

"You only believed you were. The spirits are very empathic, they could sense your inner turmoil and crafted the scenario for you to work through your issues," Yelana said. Anna nodded in understanding.

"So, how does this Tie thing work? Elsa's role is to connect the spirits together, which we accomplished. Now, what is my role?" she asked. Yelana smiled.

"Come. Wait, where's the library?" she said.

"Down the hall, to the left," Anna said. Yelana again repeated her beckon, and the sisters followed her, directing Yelana to the library. Eventually, they located it and Yelana immediately began scouring the shelves, looking for a very specific book. Finally, she found it and began skimming the pages until she found the passage she was looking for. "The Tie's role is to unite everything and everyone. We fulfilled the first part of the prophecy to get Elsa to fully become the Snow Queen, but her decision to stay with us delayed the second part's fulfillment until you came to Elsa, begging her to come home with you. Your mother's connection with the spirits also manifested in you as well, Anna, it was just extremely delayed, so to speak," she said with a slight chuckle.

"So, basically, I got the short end of the stick like usual?" she asked with mock hurt.

"Pretty much, but in all seriousness, you two were the result of your parents' union. The prophecy, we were told, was that your mother would bare two daughters and the firstborn would have magical powers, the second born would be born a normal kid. Being focused on the first part of the prophecy, we overlooked the hidden second part of the prophecy, the one that concerned you," she said, looking directly at Anna. She gulped. "Think about it, Anna. You forgave Elsa, but have you forgave your parents for shutting you out while they were dealing with Elsa's powers?" Anna was floored. Even though their parents had good intentions and were just trying to protect her from Elsa's powers, she outright said, to her mother's spirit no less, that they have a LONG way to go before she could reconcile what they did with how they normally were, because while they had good intentions, the fact remained that a LOT of her and Elsa's issues of feeling shut out and unwanted, even the stuff with Hans, could ultimately be traced back to that isolation.

Anna made her way to her and Kristoff's quarters, her head still spinning from what she was asked. She had barely even disrobed when suddenly she felt somebody pushing her to the bed and pinning her down so she couldn't get up. She felt somebody get on top of her and heavily kiss her. She melted. "You had no idea what you did to me when we were in the cavern," Kristoff said. Anna blushed, remembering she had been naked when she was talking to him and Elsa. Kristoff began kissing down her neck. "God, you are so beautiful. You were so gorgeous when you transformed,'' he moaned. It was a magical night indeed.

**AN: I pulled a Frozen & Frozen II and wrote the ending to this chapter first because I needed to still break the library scene down. Also, to anyone who is all but demanding another chapter, like all the other followers, notifications will be issued whenever I 'drop' a chapter. Patience is a virtue. R&R!**


	14. Chapter 14

That morning, Anna roused herself, sporting the biggest grin on her face, the memory of what had occurred between her and Kristoff last night was still potent in her head, but she was still troubled by Yelana's question of forgiveness. Yeah, it was easy to blame Agnarr and Iduna for how they handled things, but it didn't change the fact they were merely trying to protect Anna and she can't fault them for that, even if she didn't agree with how it was actually done. She shuddered to wonder what would have happened if they hadn't died and found out the truth and Elsa had been spirited away to privately train and hone her powers. She also was aware that if that happened, there was a VERY slim chance Elsa would have returned to Arendelle Castle if she had been made aware she was the fifth spirit a lot earlier, even though Yelana stated that Elsa was still Elsa and the spirits didn't dictate her actions or where she could live her life. All those things would have delayed fulfilling the second part of the prophecy. She dressed quickly and adopted her regal demure. It was time for court and once again, Anna had pitched the idea of preserving the Enchanted Forest to the council, but again, no dice.

It wasn't much better in the Enchanted Forest either. The letters from Yelana, Honeymaren and Ryder vouching for residing in the kingdom did little to assuage the concerns of the elders. Per Honeymaren's letter, Ryder had gotten sick last night and the royal physician had him back up on his feet in just a couple hours. Contrast this, the letter said, if he had gotten sick in the woods, who would have healed him then? Rather have him be healed who knew what they were doing instead of having someone who fancied themselves a healer but really had no idea what they were doing or had anything that could actually cure him. The elders were unmoved and sent back an angry letter denouncing the three as traitors to the tribe. Honeymaren brought this letter to Anna. "If it makes you feel any better, my council has done the same thing. How dare I bring in outsiders into the kingdom," she said.

"Your majesty, do you think we're traitors to the tribe?" Anna sighed.

"Traitor is somebody who took an oath to either protect the queen or kingdom, but is found to have been either conspiring to or had intentions to kill the royal family. I knew a prince. When Elsa ran away, I went to go find her and I trusted him to take care of the kingdom in our absence and he took an oath to do so. However, he later revealed his oath was a sham and he had designs on our throne. That's what a traitor is," Anna said. Honeymaren wasn't convinced.

"From what you said, that's more from a royalty perspective. A custom in our tribe is when we're born, we undergo some kind of christening that 'blessed' us into the tribe, essentially swearing loyalty to the tribe," she explained. Anna shrugged.

"Then no, you are not traitors to your tribe. The elders are just trying to guilt-trip you. You are still part of your tribe, just in a different area than them, `` she reassured. That made Honeymaren feel a little bit better.

Anna later found Elsa admiring the dress she gained when she became the tie. "Like what you see?" she asked. Elsa nodded.

"It is beautiful. What colors are on it?"

"The colors of the four elements and you", she answered.

"Where's mine?" Elsa asked. Anna pointed to the white on the right side of the dress.

"That's you right here," she said with pride. "You may be the snow queen, but you are still my big sister," she added before wrapping Elsa in a big bear hug. But then, she thought of something. "Hey, Elsa?"

"Hmmmmmm?"

"Can I ask you a loaded question?"

"You can always ask me anything, Anna," Elsa responded.

"It's like what I asked you before, but if we let you undertake your quest alone, would you still come back after what you learned? Because it's like I've been saying all along, we're a team," Elsa was shattered at this, even more when she heard Anna sniffle. She thought back to how she tried to convince Anna to let her go alone to the Enchanted Forest, but Anna would have had none of it and the more she yearned to find out more about herself and her abilities, she broke her promise and began pushing Anna away again. She visualized herself returning to Arendelle the way she looked now, only to break the news to Anna she would be moving to the Enchanted Forest, because she doesn't belong in Arendelle and never did. Anna would have argued against this, but Elsa would have explained the bridge factor. It's like what Yelana had told them in the library: They were so focused on fulfilling the first half of the prophecy they had overlooked the second part of the prophecy.

"Elsa, you know you can always depend on or talk to me if you need anything or if something is troubling you. We promised when we renewed our relationship we would be emotionally open with each other. Why did you start emotionally blocking me out again when you heard the voice?" Anna asked. "And don't you ever say you were just trying to protect me because that excuse was only valid during our isolation. You can't rationalize blocking me out because of 'you're just trying to protect me'. I'm not a little kid anymore, I don't need anymore protection than I already have. You have to recognize why the spirits chose me as the connecting tie, I was never afraid of you even when everyone else was," she added. Elsa's face froze and Anna knew that posture. It was that posture Elsa did whenever she had a conscience attack and she realized she DID break her promise on their journey, more than once, she might add: First by not coming to her the second she began hearing the voice, then trying to block her from going on the quest with her and when she reconsidered, she double crossed her own sister at the tail end of it.

"You're right, Anna. I should have told you about the voice the second I started hearing it. But, see, the thing was: My powers are connected to Ahtohallan. No one except the spirits can hear its' calls. Ahtohallan was calling to me and me alone. I never forgot our promise to be emotionally open with each other. I thought if I froze you out again, maybe you would have left enough alone. I never wanted to send you away at the tail end but I was afraid of what would have happened if Ahtohallan wouldn't accept you. Sometimes, I still see you as that little girl I swore to always protect that I sometimes forget you don't need any protection in some circumstances, `` Elsa said. Anna wasn't convinced, being instantly reminded of their first separation.

"So, essentially, you became our parents. I have to go, I need to oversee preparations for the Holiday festival," she said and left the room, leaving Elsa alone.

**AN: For those who are wondering what Anna's new outfit is, her dress has the colors of the elements interwoven on the right and left sides: Blue (Water), Red (Fire), Grey (Wind), Green with a little bit of Brown (Earth) on the left and White (Snow) on the right. She also has on open toe flats, similar to Elsa, except hers are bright red.**


	15. Chapter 15

Anna's accusation of Elsa behaving like their parents did rang in Elsa's head long after Anna left the room to oversee the preparations for Christmas. This caused her to remember every single argument Anna had with their parents whenever they had caught her trying to see Elsa unsupervised, ending always the same way: Agnarr's hand on Anna's backside and Anna going 'ow!' and the older Anna got, the spankings progressed to slaps across the face, but the same always transpired: Anna said 'ow!' and Agnarr rationalizing it by saying if Anna just listened to them, she wouldn't have received such a harsh punishment. Having to hear the sounds of Agnarr's hand across any part of Anna's body and justifying it broke Elsa's heart to its core. But the problem was that, while yes they were merely trying to protect Anna, they also weren't being open with the real reason why she needed protection and they should have given the truth when they felt Anna was ready. Elsa reckoned they probably would have told them the truth when they returned from the voyage, but obviously, they were killed before they got that chance and she did admit that she was proud of the woman Anna did become visually, but in her mind, Anna was still the same little girl she swore to always protect. She smiled as she thought back to when Anna was born and as she held her in her arms, she made a vow she told herself she would uphold. "I'll protect you, Anna, from any danger that should arise in our lives. I will ALWAYS protect you", she remembered telling baby Anna. That's why she returned to Arendelle: She still had a debt to pay. Leaving the study, Elsa went to look for Anna to clear the air.

Meanwhile, Anna was in a hustle and bustle, overseeing preparations for the winter ball. Yelana, Honeymaren, Ryder, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf were assisting whenever possible, although Olaf seemed more interested in trying to get a surprise out of the staff, who repeatedly told him "Not yet!", than any actual helping. Yet unbeknownst to Anna, Elsa was trying to find her and she was so wrapped up in preparing everything she didn't feel Elsa's hands touch her face. "HOLY COW! YOUR HANDS ARE COLD!" Anna said.

"Can we talk?"

"No, I'm busy. Right over there, `` she pointed where she wanted the plates carried by a manservant to go, oblivious to the fact that Elsa was tapping her foot, waiting for Anna to acknowledge her.

"Are you done?" she asked, getting annoyed.

"Nope, still many more preparations,'' she didn't finish that sentence because Elsa had grabbed her arm and was dragging her back into the castle. "Elsa, let go of me!" she squirmed, but Elsa won't let go until they were back in the castle, but even then, she gripped her hands on Anna's arms and didn't release her lest she run off again.

"I am going to make one thing quite clear to you: I made a vow when you were born to ALWAYS protect you from any danger that would have arose in any of our lives. So, don't you DARE accuse me of not caring about you. Why do you think I isolated myself from you? Why do you think I sent you away at the final stretch when we uncovered where our parents were really going? I was afraid that something was going to happen to you if I let you come on the final stretch and my powers could have hurt you," she said.

"I never accused you of not caring about me,'' Anna said.

"Actually, you did. When I came back to Arendelle to check on you, you had accused me of not loving you and not caring. I didn't say anything to you at the time because I knew it was the nightmare talking, but that still hurt me. It's like what Yelana had said, we're empathic. Second, you called me our father!"

"I was using that as an example of you pushing me away, using that excuse of 'just trying to protect' me! Before they left on their voyage, I had asked him one more time to tell me what was really going on. He said I would find out eventually after they returned. They never came back, so I never found out until after you snapped. The reason why I went off on you was because I needed answers and no one was willing to explain what was going on, so you can't fault me for what I did," Anna said. Elsa sighed.

"Anna, I had every intention of telling you everything at the coronation ceremony. I just didn't want to say anything in front of him and all the people," she admitted. Anna's eyes widened as her mind flew back to the coronation ball.

"May I talk to you, please, alone?" she had asked but Anna's mind was still on, in her mind, the upcoming wedding and to her, Elsa had lost her sister privileges after the death of their parents, something Hans had subtly been encouraging throughout their earlier interactions.

"No! Whatever you have to say, you can say to the both of us!" Anna had said, clinging to Hans.

"Fine! You can't marry a man you JUST met!"

Back in the present, Anna's eyes welled up with tears as their argument over the courtship played back in her head. Regret for not listening to Elsa and dropping the issue and remorse for buying all of Hans' boloney about being the only one she could trust. Elsa released Anna from her grip. "Take over the preparations. See you at the ball,'' she said and ran off to her and Kristoff's quarters, which had been their parents' old room.

"Anna," Elsa said before turning on her heel and walking back outside to take over the preparations for the ball and carnival.

Meanwhile, Anna threw herself onto the bed and sobbed, berating herself for taking Hans' words over her own sister. If she had been more willing to listen and depending on Elsa's state of mind as well, she could have gotten her sister back that evening and had their adventure in the Enchanted Forest a LOT earlier and uncovered their destinies in that same time frame, because that was what she really wanted was the sisterly bond they both shared. She cursed herself for being so short-sighted regarding Hans and letting him emotionally manipulate her against her own sister. Even though she had been able to fight off his manipulative tactics long enough to go save Elsa, but after her frozen heart occurred, there was enough doubt about Elsa's intentions that allowed Hans to emotionally manipulate her again, albeit only briefly. Anna got up off the bed and went to follow Elsa outside.

**AN: What I meant when I said 'depending on Elsa's state-of-mind' that they could have mended their relationship at the coronation, some fanfics that usually go the 'Elsa tells Anna everything' route usually go two ways: 1. Elsa mends her and Anna's bond or 2. She still insists on the status quo being kept, even though Anna is in the loop. R&R and Happy Holidays.**


	16. Chapter 16

Anna had told Elsa to take over the preparations of the ball, so she would be either outside or in the ballroom. "Yelana," she asked. The older woman turned around.

"Yes?"

"Have you seen Elsa?"

"Last I saw, she was still outside. I'm still trying to learn the navigation around here, so I'm probably the wrong person to ask. Sorry I can't be any more help," she said regretfully. Anna, however, realized that she had been given a clue and she headed back outside. Sure enough, she looked among the heads for a head of platinum blonde hair. She found Elsa standing near one of the booths.

"Anna!" she waved. Anna went over. "We're almost finished with the outside. Do you like it?" she asked.

"It's nice. Elsa, can we talk?"

"Sure", Elsa followed Anna inside. "What is it?" Anna steeled herself.

"Elsa, I never did apologize for how I had behaved at your coronation. I should have heard you out instead of trying to fight you. If I had, things could have been different," she started to say, but Elsa held her hand up.

"Anna, you shouldn't dwell on what happened back when I was queen, it's a new era now. Besides, I already forgave you, like how you and all of Arendelle forgave me in spite of everything that transpired," she said. The two sisters shared a tender hug and oversaw the rest of the ball preparations together.

Later that afternoon, the crowd gathered outside. When Kristoff, Ryder and Sven appeared with the Yule Bell, the crowd parted to let them through. Anna, as queen, was required to stand at the steps of the castle. Elsa stood beside her. "People of Arendelle!" Anna shouted. The crowd turned around in acknowledgement of the queen. "A new holiday season is upon us!" she announced. The crowd nodded. "We ring in the season and wish well wishes to all as we go forward!" Anna continued. "All right, I've kept you in suspense long enough. Olaf, Honeymaren, will you do the honors?" she asked, extending the rope to them. They nodded.

"On 3! 1! 2! 3!" she loudly counted down. At 3, Olaf and Honeymaren rang the bell as loud and hard as they could. "LET THE HOLIDAY SEASON BEGIN!" she yelled. The crowd cheered and hollered. After the bell rang, the kids ran about, enjoying the festivities. Anna and Elsa stepped down the stairs of the palace to personally engage everybody and wish them a Happy Holidays and chat with the locals, something their parents always did when they hosted the Winter Carnival, as a way to personally get to know the locals. When Elsa resumed her role as queen, she did the same thing at every event that involved the kingdom as a way to get to know the locals on a personal level and it touched her to see the locals still remembered her and her kindness, especially the kids. However, as everyone started to retire, Ryder came running.

"Your majesty! Something's happening with the water!" he shouted.

**AN: R&R!**


	17. Chapter 17

"Your majesty! Something's happening with the water!" Ryder shouted. Anna and Elsa looked at each other. "Elsa, evacuate the citizens. Get them as far away from Arendelle as possible. Just to be safe, `` she pleaded. Elsa nodded. "People of Arendelle, follow me to the cliffs!" she shouted. The citizens followed Elsa to the far cliffs as Kristoff approached.

"What's going on?!" he asked.

"Ryder said something was going on with the water!"

"The spirits should be pacificed! Why are they doing this?!"

"I don't know! Unless", the realization hit Anna like a ton of bricks. "Arendelle was MEANT to be destroyed!" Kristoff's face fell.

"Why would they want to destroy the kingdom?"

"It makes perfect sense! Our grandfather betrayed the Northrulda via a sham peace arrangement! To the spirits, destroying the kingdom would give us a clean slate!" Anna said. Kristoff was stunned. Anna continued to explain that to the spirits, sparing Arendelle seemed too much of a free pass if both Arendelle and the Northrulda were meant to be one.

Anna and Kristoff walked over to the docks where they could get a clear shot at the fjord. Sure enough, they could see a tidal wave brewing on the horizon and it was heading right towards them. The couple turned around and raced for the cliffs. Fortunately, they made it out of the vicinity of the kingdom just in time, turning around to see the wave attack Arendelle.

"Arendelle," Anna said.

The first tidal wave did significant damage, but not enough to wipe out the kingdom in one go, so another tidal wave was conjured up, more powerful than the first. Again, not enough, so a third tidal wave was whipped up and finally, some damage had occurred, but again, it wasn't enough. Eventually, it took two more tidal waves to demolish the kingdom. Arendelle was no more.

Anna and Kristoff saw a sign sent from Elsa, which they immediately followed to the location her and the citizens were at. "Is it gone?" Elsa asked. Anna nodded. Finally, Gale appeared.

"Anna, Elsa, step forward," she ordered. The fifth spirit and the Tie did so, understanding they alone could hear Gale, but to Kristoff and the rest, they were talking to themselves.

"You promised you would spare the kingdom. You didn't keep your promise," Anna said. Gale used one of her leaves and slapped Anna across the face.

"Hey!" Elsa shouted, but a breeze blocked her from advancing further.

"Everything was not fully in place and like it or not, Runeard betrayed us and that's something we won't forget", the wind spirit said firmly. The sisters were shocked.

"So, when you said you were going to spare the kingdom, you lied?" Elsa asked.

"Like I said, this was all your grandfather's doing. His actions gave you powers sure, but that doesn't change the fact he didn't keep the land one and after he separated Yelana and her family, had the audacity to use a sham peace agreement to build a dam to drain our resources. When you announced your intention to stay with us, we knew it wasn't safe to go ahead with destroying the kingdom at the time, so no, we didn't lie from a certain point of view, `` the wind spirit tried to justify, but Anna and Elsa knew that they were merely rationalizing their stance, even though they were within their rights to be angry as Runeard did not keep the land of Arendelle one when he chose to excommunicate Yelana and her family and had committed blasphemy when he angered the spirits with his dam. Agnarr and Iduna had done the exact same thing when they caught Anna trying to see Elsa when she wasn't allowed to and punished her for it. After Gale left, a little boy approached Anna.

"Your majesty, where do we go now?" the boy asked. Anna knelt down and hugged the boy, who returned her hug.

"At this point, I really have no clue, sweetheart," she said. "I really don't know,'' she added, more to herself than anything. Yelena stepped forward.

"Your majesty, if it pleases you, you're all welcome to stay at our campsite while Arendelle would presumably be rebuilt," she said. Anna was stunned.

"You would do that for us?"

"Many people lost their homes today. It would be heartless to cast out so many people who did not deserve this. I understand we don't have the luxuries one would expect us to have," she started but Anna held her hand up.

"It's all right. What ultimately matters is the fact that the citizens are safe and secure," Anna said. Yelena nodded in approval of this decision. Rounding up the citizens, everyone ventured into the Enchanted Forest, their new home for the time being.

**AN: When Anna said "Our grandfather" to Kristoff, she was referring to her and Elsa's grandfather, in case that wasn't clear. R&R!**


	18. Chapter 18

"Your majesty, how do you want to rebuild the kingdom?" the construction worker said. Anna looked up from the plans. Since the migration to the Enchanted Forest, Anna had been seen very little, as she had to oversee the rebuilding, which was going to take a week at most. During that time, the Northrulda had been integrating with the community and the kingdom, educating them on their culture and vice versa with the ones who left the tribe had been doing the same thing.

"You know, I honestly have no idea how I want to do this. The only logical explanation would be to have the kingdom rebuilt closer to the Enchanted Forest, but I don't think Yelena's council would accept that," Anna said. "I could ask but we would be back at square one and I don't want this to be a 'If you don't figure out what to do, then I'm just gonna go do it' situation," she added, remembering the battles both women had with their councils about reintegrating both cultures.

"Well, your majesty, this is your decision and we will support whatever happens," the worker said. Shaking hands with the foreman, Anna turned and headed back to the Enchanted Forest, looking downtrodden.

"Queen Anna's back!" one of the kids shouted. "Anna!" "Anna!" the kids shouted as they ran to Anna, which replaced her frown with a grin as she hugged each one of them. Elsa, Kristoff and everyone watched the situation with smiles. Elsa, having seen Anna's rapaport with the kids after ending the 13-year isolation, always told Anna she would make a great mom someday. After the kids backed off, Anna approached Elsa and Yelena.

"Elsa, Yelena, as the Tie, we need to talk,'' she said. The two nodded and followed Anna into the leader's tent.

"This doesn't look good at all," Elsa noted to their friend, noticing Anna's pained expression. She gave Elsa and Yelena the plans.

"Here's the rundown: The only logical explanation would be to rebuild near here," Anna began but Yelena immediately held her hand up.

"I'm going to stop you right there. You're basically asking us to submit to your rule," she spat. Anna hung her head.

"I was afraid you would say that. But I'm not seeing any other option here," Anna tried to get Yelena to understand her POV, but the woman remained firm: The deal was that the Northrulda would provide shelter and food for the Arendellians with no strings attached and the Queen would not do anything that would constitute trying to force them to submit. During the meeting, which lasted the whole afternoon, a consensus was reached that the Arendellians would have shelters built for them, no more, no less. Anna found herself agreeing, lest she lose the Northrulda's support, like her grandfather had done, and having some form of shelter over the heads of the citizens was more important at the moment. Rebuilding the kingdom could wait, because the rainy season was about to start soon so they couldn't begin rebuilding right away. Night fell, and the Arendelle residents were placed in a nearby cave. Anna and Kristoff were given their own tent, right next to Elsa's. Queen's orders. As Anna removed her shoes, Kristoff entered, so Anna offered him her foot, puzzling him. Since he wasn't getting what she wanted, she wiggled her toes.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to get a foot rub," she smiled. Kristoff nodded and started to caress his hands over Anna's foot. His hands were so soft as they worked their magic over Anna's aching feet. "You know how much I love you, right?" she asked.

"I know you do, but sometimes, I feel like if it will really boil down to it, you would choose Elsa over me,'' he admitted. He felt Anna's hands over his chest.

"You heard what I said before I transformed, I love both of you equally. I know when it comes to me and Elsa, you feel like you're a third wheel, but, how can I put this without offending you? I really feel like everything that had occurred lately is tied back to me and Elsa," she said. Kristoff shrugged his shoulders.

"I know it does. That's what I'm getting at is, I guess, marrying you gave me a sense of entitlement, like, okay, I'm in your family now, can I now be included in your shenanigans? Just being reminded I married into the family is like a kick in reality for me. I mean, you walked into my life, you think I had that planned? I didn't, but the more I helped you on your quest, I began to realize that you were changing me, showing me that no one needed to be alone and a human companion is all everyone needed. I thought I had what I needed, but you proved me wrong, big time", he sheepishly admitted. Anna blushed at his words.

As the two of them snuggled together, Kristoff had to admit he knew how much Anna loved him, but deep in his heart, he knew Anna would choose Elsa over him if it really came down to it, meaning he really was a third wheel when it came to the sisters.

**AN: Arendelle being destroyed later is actually a reference to the earlier draft script of Frozen II, where Arendelle did get wiped out, but the writers changed it at the last second. Also, in case I wasn't clear, the Arendellians have rations, supplies and essentials, which the spirits allowed them to get before siccing the tidal wave on them. It's somewhat similar to the evacuation in the second film, where it's very strongly implied that it's a 'get whatever you need before you go, because if you don't, it'll be gone' situation, because once they left, they had to appease the spirits' anger, which was the dam. R&R!**


	19. Chapter 19

Anna roused herself with a big grin on her face. As she stepped outside the tent, she was amazed to find how beautiful the forest looked in the morning. Not surprisingly, she found her sister outside, taking a morning walk. "You're up early", Elsa acknowledged. Anna nodded.

"Since becoming queen, I've had to adjust my sleeping habits. Getting up early was one of them, `` she said. Elsa chuckled. As the sisters walked together, Anna told Elsa about Kristoff's fears of being excluded and if it would really come down to it, Anna would choose her sister over him. This puzzled Elsa.

"What do you mean if it would really come down to it?"

"I hate to dig up old dirt, but remember when Hans was about to slash you with your sword? I had a choice, I could save my own life, but would have cost you your own and Hans would have gone unexposed, because if you really think about it, some of his accusations against you were perfectly valid in everyone else's view, using a series of not quite lies to get them on his side because, when you ran off, the throne DID go to me and when you inflicted the Frozen Heart curse on me, that constituted 'harming the reigning ruler', which IS considered treasonous and in terms of our relationship, that would have proven I didn't forgive you and I wouldn't have transformed into the Tie. Or I could offer myself to Hans and save you, with the added bonus of exposing him and proving I did forgive you, thereby earning my designation", Anna explained. Elsa felt her eyes well up at her explanation. She'd hate to admit it, but sometimes her mind wondered: What if? What if Anna did get a kiss from Kristoff and that saved her? Would she still saved her? Or would she left her to Hans and called it a day? She shuddered at the implication.

"Anna, I'm not going to force you to choose between Kristoff or myself if it comes down to it,'' Elsa said. Anna gulped.

"But, you moved back into the palace though. That's like intruding on our marriage," she said. Elsa's mouth dropped.

"So, basically, you're saying I'm not allowed to stay in the home I grew up in and ruled from for three years? Who are you and what happened to the Anna I knew?" she asked, tears forming.

"Nothing, she just grew up!" Both gasped at what Anna just said. Elsa backed away and Anna, immediately realizing she said the wrong thing, tried to approach her. "Elsa, wait. I'm", Anna started to say.

"No, Anna. save it!" Elsa turned and walked away, leaving Anna with her lip quivering and tears forming.

"What have I done?" While it was true their journey with the spirits opened Anna's eyes to the fact she was still trying to cling onto Elsa and that she ultimately needed to let her go, Elsa's return did lead to a mountain of revelations about again, their destinies were intertwined, but even then, how many married couples had their own unmarried siblings living with them? Did their grandfather have his unmarried brother living with him when he succeeded his father? No. Did their father have any unmarried siblings living with him? No, he was an only child. Anna could have been cruel and just hired her as additional work, treating her like one of her grunts and banishing her to the servant quarters at the end of the day, emotionally distancing herself from her, but no, she let her move back to the palace, no strings attached. That's why she always kept Elsa's room maintained, in case she ever decided to return. Was Anna grateful Elsa made the decision to return? Yes, but the question was now: Where did that leave her relationship with Kristoff? Where did he fit into all this? The answer? Nowhere. Even though they were living in the woods with the Northrulda, Anna still had to host court and committee meetings, which often ended with flared tempers. Every question was the same. How long they were to stay in the woods? When will the rebuilding of the kingdom commence? Anna's answers were the same: I don't know, The crew want to wait until the hard seasons past. No progress yet. She didn't want to contend with a revolt, but the ability to be a good and competent queen, or any royal status for that matter, was also contingent on your ability to be a good peacemaker. Eventually, the cabins meant to house the citizens were finished and the citizens could move in, which was a good thing because it eventually began to rain, which meant another couple days imprisoned and sealed within. No one could go outside lest they get drenched. It rained for 4 days straight and as a result, Anna and Kristoff were allowed to room with the council members in their tent, which resembled more of a tent cabin and was more homey as a result. "How often does it rain here?" Anna inquired. One of the council members shrugged.

"Depends. One year before we were sealed off, it rained for 6 days straight, `` he said. Anna grimaced.

"Ouch", she groaned. Finally, she spotted a familiar mop of blonde hair on one of the cots and tentatively approached her. "Hey," she said. Elsa remained curled into herself. Anna figured this was where she disappeared to after their spat. "Can I sit?" she asked. No response, so Anna took the initiative and sat down on the cot. Elsa didn't say anything. She didn't even look at her. "Elsa, look, I didn't mean what I said back there. I was just confused over everything that happened lately, `` she said. Elsa looked up, revealing her red eyes. Anna's heart broke. "I'm sorry for what I said. You were never intruding on us," she said.

"I'm sorry too," Elsa admitted. Anna was surprised.

"For what?"

"I should have asked if I was allowed to stay at the palace. I just got so caught up in the thrill of the fact I could have stayed in Arendelle all this time I didn't consider how it would make you feel as a wife and mostly importantly, queen. It was", Elsa started to explain but Anna held her hand up.

"You are always welcome at the palace, you don't need any consent to stay there. Besides," she leaned in and whispered into Elsa's ear. "I want my baby to know their aunt,'' she said. Elsa froze in shock.

"Anna? Are you serious?" she asked. Anna vigorously nodded.

"Kristoff caught the stork!" she smiled.

"You have to tell him!" Elsa said. Anna nodded again. She dispatched a tribe council member to find Kristoff and bring him to the council tent immediately. His wife had something important and urgent to tell him.

"A stork? What do you mean a stork?" Kristoff had stated, oblivious to the real meaning of the term. The councilman had found him and Ryder tending to the reindeer and delivered Anna's message. Nonetheless, he was directed to the councilman's tent, where Anna was waiting for him. He entered. "All right! Who was it that said I caught a stork?! Anyone?" His eyes scanned the room, until they fell on Anna, sporting the biggest grin on her face. "You?" he asked. Anna's eyes welled up with tears as she nodded.

"A stork is a euphemism a woman uses to tell her husband she's pregnant," she softly explained. Kristoff put a hand to his heart, remembering all those times he had told Anna she would be an excellent mom if they had a kid of their own. It was obvious that Anna loved spending time with the kids and the kids all liked her in turn. Elsa approached the happy couple.

"You will be an excellent mother, Anna. When we opened the gates again after you helped me gain control of my powers, it always touched me how you interacted with and adored the kids of the town. I always told you so. I know both of you will be good parents, `` she said. Kristoff then had another question.

"How long?" Anna blushed.

"It had been after we had our magical evening the day I transformed. A few days after that, I started waking up with my back aching. At first, I thought it was a side-effect of just going to bed after burning the midnight oil, but then, I started getting sick and needing the privvy more frequently. I just didn't consider the possibility because of everything else that had been occurring," she explained. The family shared a hug, Anna and Elsa's quarrel forgotten. Eventually, the rain subsided enough to where the rebuilding could commence and Anna was leading the charge whenever she could, unless of course Elsa and Kristoff were insisting Anna save her energy and even when she conceded to their demands, Anna was also insisting that as queen of Arendelle, her presence was needed to ensure everyone had hope. 5 days and passed and Anna started to feel kicks in her stomach. She also started eating more frequently, which was no surprise there considering she had a bottomless pit of a stomach. A few more days passed and we now find Anna in the throes of childbirth, breathing heavily.

"Oh, god! It hurts!" she sobbed.

"I know it does, Anna but just remember to breathe," Elsa coached. Anna did exactly that, she breathed and pushed some more

"Something's coming! Push, Anna! It's almost here!" Kristoff said. Anna pushed through her tears and pain. Finally, she screamed, being joined by the scream of life. Anna collapsed onto the pillows, exhausted. Kristoff handed the wiggling infant to Anna, whose eyes lit up at the sight of her daughter.

"Lucy," Anna said. "Her name is Lucy, Princess of Arendelle."

**AN: To the guest reviewer who all but accused me of setting up an Elsanna with this story, that's not what I'm actually doing. What I was talking about was in the "Blood vs Water" sense: He's feeling that even though he got together with Anna, he still feels 'excluded', because the adventures he's accompanied them on were ultimately tied back to Anna, Elsa and their heritage and he's beginning to think that if it really boils down to it, Anna would choose 'blood' over him (and in a way, in the first movie, she did, but the way the writers treated it was more 'Did you forgive Elsa for slighting you?' Not saving Elsa would prove Anna never did forgive her sister for how she treated her, while saving her would prove she did), even though Anna told him outright that wasn't the case and she equally loves both Elsa and Kristoff. She said so herself before she transformed. I always treated the franchise as being more about the sisters' bond than anything else. You probably missed that chapter. Also, In regards to the pregnancy, I had been debating over whether or not to have an "Anna's pregnant" storyline implemented, because I was aware that it would clash with the prior chapters and require a LOT of Broad Strokes to the chapters after 13 for it to fully make sense, which explains the lack of build-up to the reveal because when I first conceived the fic, I had only planned up to the reveal of the Northrulda residing in Arendelle, Arendelle being destroyed, the migration into the Enchanted Forest and Arendelle's rebuilding. Nowhere in my mental bible had Anna being pregnant during any of those moments, but I wasn't against the idea either if it furthered the story. Also, after this chapter drops, this story will be going on a hiatus because I'm conceiving another fic that I hope to get started on soon. R&R!**


	20. Chapter 20

Eventually, Anna recovered enough from the birth to oversee the rebuilding of Arendelle again. But during the time frame where she recovered, Anna made Elsa and Kristoff the Overseers of the committee and while considerable progress had been made in the rebuilding of the kingdom, it would still be a little longer before they could all return. Lucy had inherited Anna's cuteness, so whenever Anna brought her out, everyone was more interested in the baby than whatever she had to say. She couldn't even christen her own baby without somebody fawning over her. "It's amazing. You've become mom. The transformation is now complete", Elsa remarked one afternoon. Lucy reached over to grab Elsa's hair. Just in time, too, because the sisters had been informed Anna was needed at the building site. Kristoff, who was already overseeing the building that day, was already there.

"I think she wants her auntie," Anna said. To Elsa, she said, "Duty calls." To Lucy, she said. "Mommy has to go for a few minutes. Mind your aunt Elsa." Lucy goo-gooed. Anna handed the baby off to Elsa and hurried off to the site. "What's going on?" she asked Kristoff.

"I don't know. They said something isn't reacting right," he responded.

"Like what?"

"There's one area that is hardened that can't be penetrated when you stick a shovel in it. That's not natural", Kristoff said. It then dawned on Anna that maybe the Spirits were actively sabotaging the rebuilding to keep both sides integrated, since this is what they wanted, but the others couldn't survive on homegrown food and live in tents forever. Anna turned on the ball of her foot and headed back to the camp. "Where are you going?" Kristoff asked.

"To talk to my sister. Maybe she can get the spirits to stand down and let us finish the rebuilding," Anna said. Kristoff put his hand on her trembling shoulder.

"First, you are going to calm down. Remember what happened the last time you let your issues affect your actions? Okay, breathe, breathe. You calm?" Anna nodded. Kristoff let her go.

"Excuse me. Have you seen my sister? Oh, there she is! ELSA!" Anna waved to get her sister's attention. Elsa nodded.

"Your mommy's back", she cooed to the baby, whom she handed off to Anna. The baby showed her gratitude by grabbing at Anna's face. "You wanted to talk to me about something?" Elsa asked.

"Let me just put her down and then I'll tell you my suspicions", Anna said. She disappeared into the tent, motioning for Elsa to follow her inside. Once Anna made sure Lucy was snug inside her bassinet, her expression changed from loving mother to queen. "So, I think the Spirits are sabotaging the rebuilding," she said. Elsa's face fell.

"Why?"

"Elsa, think about it. We are one community now. This is what the Spirits wanted all along," Anna tried to reason.

"Anna, the Arendellians can't stay here forever!"

"Then TALK to them! Make them let us finish the rebuilding!" Elsa saw the desperate look in her sister's eyes. She nodded.

"I'll do what I can", she said and exited the tent, leaving Anna alone with her baby and her thoughts. "Gale, Nokk, Bruni, Earth Giants!" she called. Almost immediately, the Four Spirits showed up.

"Yes, mistress? You summoned us?"

"My sister accused you of sabotaging the rebuilding committee. Would she be correct in that accusation?" When the spirits didn't respond, Elsa knew Anna was correct.

"I am VERY disappointed in all of you. Effective immediately, you will let the committee finish their work so we can all return home. Is that clear?" The spirits nodded. After Elsa's talk with the Spirits, there were no further reports of any suspicious activity whenever the rebuilding of the kingdom was going on and eventually the whole kingdom was rebuilt, with expansions to house the new arrivals. A horn sounded.

"Hear ye! Hear ye! The Honorable Queen Anna will speak!" Kai shouted. Everyone rushed over to Anna.

"People of Arendelle! Our kingdom has been rebuilt and we can move back in!" she announced. Cheers erupted in response and preparations began to be made for the return trip. Once they were finished, Anna, baby in hand, turned to the people.

"Let's go home. All of us", she said. She then turned to the Spirits, who were watching. "You will protect Arendelle in addition to the Enchanted Forest?" The spirits nodded, so Anna continued. "I also request permission to build a bridge to better connect the two areas in case we want to visit the forest and ease travel time". The spirits looked among each other, because that was the exact same excuse Runeard gave and no guesses at what happened there. Sensing their unease, Anna chuckled. "No, not a dam, a literal bridge. It won't interfere with anything. It will be simple. Wood by wood. Straight line." The spirits then nodded.

True to her word, the bridge Anna had built was simple. It didn't interfere with the water passage, unlike the dam. It was just wood by wood in a straight line. The spirits blessed the bridge with their protection. As the caravan made their way back to Arendelle, a Vegvisir shot up in the sky, showering everyone in its light. The kingdom was one again. No more discrimination, no more scorn, no more hate. Equal opportunities for everyone involved. Everyone would be included in all activities.

"Well done, Anna," it said. "We are one".

**AN!: That's it! That's it! The story has been locked. Also, in regards to the whole thing with the kingdom being destroyed and then rebuilt, the original drafts of Frozen II involved the ending with the tidal wave destroying Arendelle and then rebuilding it, so I took that and ran with it for the later portion of the story. Also, the storm they had that delayed the rebuilding was actually caused by the Nokk as an act of sabotage to delay the rebuilding process. There were other acts as well that I didn't feel significant enough (ie: Wind redirecting pieces, etc) to mention until Elsa convinced them to stop. Also, the issue I had with Frozen II's ending is that the writers treated the ending as absolute, and there was no real third option presented, so I crafted one that made sense. I hope it did in light of the backstory I provided. R&R!**


End file.
